


And the Beat Goes On -  (The Whispers)

by missclawdy



Category: Dancing with the Stars (US) RPF, Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Dancing with the stars - Freeform, Desire, Emotional Roller Coaster, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Gen, Happy Ending, Internal Conflict, Jealousy, Love Confessions, Multi, Olympics, Other, Revelations, Romance, Seeing Other People, Shameless Smut, Slow Burn, Stars on Ice, push and pull
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-05-18 18:13:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 40,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missclawdy/pseuds/missclawdy
Summary: So they have just won the Olympics, and in a dark dressing room as far away from home as they could possibly  be and unbeknownst  to everyone who is out there waiting to celebrate them, they make out for the first time, they make out fiercely for every time either wanted to but didn't dare, they make out softly for every time they almost could have done but didn't.So there it begins, for one everything becomes clear in just one kiss, for the other, embracing  feelings and taking that plunge is one of the scariest things to do.(Yes it's a slow burn, with as much adult content as I can get in without it being gratuitous, also it’s just me trying to connect the dots...)





	1. Too Much - (Drake)

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly sincerest apologies to all the real life people this story is VERY loosely based on and for the extremes to which I have stretched these fictionalized versions of themselves. I plead penance for the huge amount of liberties I have taken. They come from a place of deep admiration and love and I can't but express my thanks for the endless delight and entertainment they provide us with.
> 
> I also apologize pre-emptly to other writers if there are any crossovers in our stories, I enjoy reading other fan fiction but I don't read everything and sometimes we may be triggered by the same ideas, so our imaginations may overlap.
> 
> I'm assuming anyone who comes across this will be familiar with the characters it's based on and I have jumped around with time frames of events, locations, names, so bear with me, why have poetic license and write anonymously if you cant do just that, right? I may later update a version in which I expand a little on who everyone is for anyone who isn't familiar with the Ice skating fandom.  
> Also I start lot of sentences with 'And'...  
> And 'But'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott is left standing alone and not for the first time in the last few weeks totally stumped by Tessa's reserve towards him. It irritates him immensely and he know he has to control his moodiness or it's going to make matters even worse. Now that they were meant to be in peak condition at the absolute summit of their career, communication was not going quite so well. What the heck? Ironic to say the least.  
> He's not quite sure what 'it' is, but he suspects what happened in Pyeongchang has a lot to do with it.

Vancouver Airport - April 2018

Tessa is tired, really tired. Not just in the 'having worked your body to the limit and being tired because of it' kind of way, which is what she is used to doing on a daily basis. Although exhausting, she's always found pushing herself ultimately very rewarding and her threshold for stress has always been very high.

This time it's; 'I'm wiped out and not sure how much more I can go on' kind of way.

She collects the tray from the counter of the Airport Starbucks with the almond milk cappuccino, the double espresso (Scott today appears to be the one in need of caffeine way more than her) and the latte for Chiddy who by far appears to be the one in the group in the best spirits and in the best shape, all things considered.  She smiles sweetly at the cashier who is fumbling with the change, no doubt he has recognized her, maybe partly due to the fact there appears to be a teenager with pink hair semi concealed behind a pillar faking a selfie, but it is quite obvious  by the tilted angle of her camera phone she is in reality filming her favourite ice skating dancer.

Tessa catches on, sighs but smiles, she's tempted to give her a small wave. There has been an inordinate amount of social media attention on them since the Olympics and as grateful as she is, she is also getting a little weary of certain uncalled for liberties. But this girl seems sweet and she genuinely wants to stop and say hi but really she is much too tired and has the tray and change to juggle so she lets it rest and makes her way back to her group splattered all over the seats of the waiting room in a disorderly array of backpacks, bags, headphones and papers.

She makes her consignment to Patrick, ('Chiddy' to his friends) who takes tenure of the tray allowing her to plonk her heavy bag down and slide into the chair next to him. He nods towards Scott who appears to be sprawled over Kaetlyn. She is trying to read but is having trouble turning the pages because Scott's full weight is draped over her back and has crushed her all the way down into her book. He is fast asleep and appears to be slightly snoring.

'Good luck with that!' smirks Chiddy.

Kaetlyn sees Tessa and beseechingly mouths 'Help?'

Tessa suppresses a giggle and mouths back 'Sorry, not quite yet!'

She takes out her phone and snaps a shot of the oblivious Scott dwarfing Kaetlyn all hunched over looking like a small pleading puppy.

She archives it for future use, either for her Instagram 'Sleeping Beauty' series of Scott asleep in improbable places, or as blackmail material she can whip out at a later time should there be need for negotiations, if ever again there will be a time like that. Her mind strays to a not so distant memory...at the moment she is not quite sure what the future holds.

Finally she puts Kaetlyn out of her misery by gently nudging Scott on the shoulder. Nothing. She shakes him a little harder, he rolls his head to the side, slowly uncurling like a complacent cat and unceremoniously leaning onto Kaetlyn to lever himself up. She manages to escape, rolls her eyes at Tessa and makes her way, whilst vigorously stretching out her arms and back, over to Jeffrey, who seems to be explaining some complicated manoeuvre to a pretty sleepy looking  Eric and Meagan.

'What's up T, heeeey you brought me coffee, I knew you still loved me even if you pretend you don't.'

Tessa smiles thinly at the irony of it, she knows he didn't meant it in the least bit sarcastically, but the 'L' word is still forbidden territory between them at the moment. She is about to reply, but thinks better of it and hands him the coffee with a 'Hope this helps.'

The truth is things have been a little strained recently between them.

He wiggles his eyebrow at her with a questioning look, anticipating as always that it will make her smile. And the smile is there but the big green eyes he's been staring into for the better part of a lifetime don't follow. Maybe for the first time in months, without the makeup, the show lights, but under the stark neons of the airport lounge, he realizes they are circled with dark bags and that she, who he considers to be the better half of their team is looking quite, quite tired and more than a little far away. It frustrates him and he is not quite sure what to do about it so he puts one hand on the back of her neck squeezing gently in an attempt to try and ease out the tension, he doesn't want to make a big deal of it, knowing well enough right now he should just let her be, so at the same time he nonchalantly drinks his coffee whilst pretending to peer at the departures board to check on their flight.

It seems to work and she lets him knead her back for a minute but soon breaks away: 'I forgot to ask Elvis and his wife if they wanted something.' She makes her way towards the couple on the far end of the row of seats, plops down beside them and they are all soon engrossed in conversation.

Scott is left standing alone and not for the first time in the last few weeks totally stumped by Tessa's reserve towards him. It irritates him immensely and he know he has to control his moodiness or it's going to make matters even worse. Countless hours of training, innumerable therapy sessions, endless days grinding away, putting their bodies and minds through the wringer, night after night talking over every single detail, checking every aspect of their partnership and now that they were meant to be in peak condition at the absolute summit of their career, communication was not going quite so well. What the heck? Ironic to say the least.

He knows he's been a bit of an ass, and has already kicked himself for his lack of self restraint, but now looking into Tessa's weary face he sees mirrored his own tiredness and a sneaking suspicion they may have been stretching themselves a little too far begins to make way into his head. Probably the best thing is to get to the end of this long string of shows and then hopefully when they are not so pressed they can figure it out. He heads back over to Chiddy to pick up his backpack.

He's not quite sure what 'it' is, but he suspects what happened in Pyeongchang has a lot to do with it.


	2. What happened to Us - (Jay Sean)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wasn't sure when it all became too much, but looking back, since they won the Olympics, they had had back to back engagements, charity events, TV shows, then dived straight into show skating, rehearsing, performing, changing time zones at least five or six times within a few months and fundamentally only touched base at home twice.  
> Their coaching team had warned them many times about the potential inception of an anti-climatic phase. She thought she had been prepared, but was beginning to realize that this was an aspect she hadn't properly anticipated. The focus on their primary goal had been so all encompassing, that this, and in fact ALL other thoughts, had been suppressed.  
> She thinks' it' started in Pyeongchang but is not quite sure if that's what 'it' is.

Vancouver Airport - Waiting Lounge

Elvis and Gladys decide they are actually quite hungry and head over to Starbucks themselves to see what they can grab before the flight is called.  
Tessa stays put, grateful for a moment's solitude, dons her headphones, clicks on her Hall and Oats playlist, closes her eyes and slowly drifts in and out of a light doze.  
She wasn't sure when it all became too much, but looking back, since they won the Olympics, they had had back to back engagements, charity events, TV shows, then dived straight into show skating, rehearsing, performing, changing time zones at least five or six times within a few months and fundamentally only touched base at home twice, for a couple of days at a time, and in one of those times her house had been taken over by a camera crew shooting a piece for a magazine.  
No, you couldn't exactly say they had recuperated.  
It surprises her. This weariness. She never thought she'd feel this way, at least not so soon after the Olympics were over. Everything had been so exciting, they had been living on an adrenaline high for the last few months and never really got the chance to transition back down slowly to any semblance of normality, or to the routine they had been used to day in and day out.  
In fact, was that routine ever going to be an option again? They were by all effects retired, although it had not been formalized, it was obvious to everyone in their entourage, the press and pretty much to all of the ever hopeful fans, that they had gone as far and given as much as they could to their amateur skating career. Yet the ones having the hardest time accepting this transition now, were indeed themselves. Their coaching team had warned them many times about the potential inception of an anti-climatic phase. She thought she had been prepared, but was beginning to realize that this was an aspect she hadn't properly anticipated.  
The focus on their primary goal had been so all encompassing, that this, and in fact ALL other thoughts, had been suppressed. In the back of her mind she knew this wave might come crashing down at any moment and now that it was just beginning to wash over her, she could feel the ground getting swept from under her feet and she was not prepared at all.  
And not being prepared was something Tessa Jane Virtue was not used to.  
It was destabilizing to say the least, but she knew it wasn't just that.  
Even more destabilizing than the 'wave' was that their team dynamic was changing and...

She is jolted out of her musing by the announcement they are to board soon.  
Scott is just under the flight board taking a picture with a delighted blonde lady and a bunch of blonde mini me's who can't be anything other than her progeny. He is animated as usual and throwing his head back laughing as if the bald headed gentleman accompanying the rubicund woman has just said the funniest thing in the world.  
Tessa doesn't know where he finds the energy. He really is the energizer bunny, either on or off. Sometimes she loves it and sometimes it's just right down exhausting.  
He's so gregarious by nature, she knows it comes naturally to him to engage with anyone at any time. She can't quite say the same for herself and admires and resents him simultaneously, not even surprised anymore at the degree of conflicting feelings, he whom she has always considered as the better half of their team, has recently been eliciting in her.  
He spots her looking over and points at the board beckoning her over. Their flight to Japan is now ready to board.  
She picks up her back pack and heads to the gate joining the rest of the drowsy looking cast already queuing up at the desk.

  
She thinks' it' started in Pyeongchang but is not quite sure if that's what 'it' is.


	3. You Make My Dreams - (Hall and Oats)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa is perched against a table for support, sipping from a bottle of water, still a little winded but mercifully calmer. The back lighting from the corridor beyond is outlining her graceful shape in a soft halo of gold light, he sees strands of hair that have come loose from her bun from all the hugs and embraces, swaying softly in the breeze of the overhead ventilator.  
> He is so wound up he doesn't realize he is full on marching in with the energy of a charging rhino, he doesn't hesitate for a second and before she has the time to even think, he is on her, circling her in his arms, kissing her so hard it nearly hurts, only it doesn't because it's all he can do right now and it would hurt a lot more if he didn't do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it takes exceptional events to push us to exceptional actions.  
> (In other words Scott goes for it...)

Pyeongchang - Gangneung Ice Arena - Feb 2018

He is holding her so tight she can't breathe. Her chest is still heaving from the skate and with her last remaining gasp of air, all she can manage through her beaming smile is: 'Can't breathe' but he doesn't let go, only easing up the slightest to give her some relief. The din from the crowd is overpowering, her head is buzzing and she feels she is floating a foot above the ground, until she realizes with a surge of giddy delight that she actually is, still in the air, as Scott has not set her back down and seems to have no intention of doing so.  
All she can hear is his cracked voice in her ear, 'We did it T!', his thundering heart pressed against her chest, all she can feel is his strong body wrapped around her, all she can smell is the familiar scent she has breathed day in and day out for twenty years and as he breaks hold of her ever so slightly to look in her eyes, all she can see is half of her soul staring right back at her. When later she'll think back to this moment she'll never be able to even begin to explain that feeling.

Scott can't let go of her, he has never been so grateful for the existence of another human being in his life, and it's about as much as he can do to contain himself from crushing her to pieces. If he could right now make her part of him in any way, he would. He would eat her, consume her, swallow her, envelop her up whole, he knows it doesn't make sense but he could never describe how he feels right now, it's an all encompassing emotion and he wants to merge right into her.  
He breaks away ever so slightly only because he can feel her so out of breath he is worried she might hyperventilate, he catches that sparkling emerald gaze beaming right back up at him and it takes what is left of his breath away.  
For the better part of his life he has been looking at Tessa; happy and sad Tessa, grumpy and sleepy Tessa, enthusiastic and excited Tessa, but he has never seen her quite like this and all he can think of is that she has never been as beautiful as she is right now and that he is the goddamn luckiest man alive.

They get broken apart by a flood of people rushing over to congratulate them, with their coaches, Patch and Marie-France and Romain hovering over them. They are bursting at the seams with pride, as they alternate juggling press, answering calls and taking care of their other teams all at once.  
The other skaters, Andrew and Kaitlyn in the lead, come running over to squeeze them in delight.  
Then it's trainers and other coaches and physiotherapists, everyone wants a part of them and to hug and pat and kiss, and in turn they want to share their happiness with everyone they care for and who has cared for them.  
They won Gold, it's' their fifth Olympic medal, they've broken all records and it's momentous.

At last Alma and Kate squeeze through, Alma is full on crying, and Kate is close behind.  
Both Scott and Tessa melt into their moms' embraces and it's the second best feeling they've had this day.  
Scott looks over his mother's shoulder trying to locate his brothers in the stands and spots them waving furiously and shaking a Canadian flag. He runs over and with an impressive gravity defying leap grabs their arms as they pull him up for a mighty hug. Eventually satisfied they have squeezed him hard enough they slowly release him back to the ground and they continue beaming with pride, hugging and shaking hands with anyone who is around them.

Scott turns around thinking Tessa is behind him but suddenly she's not there anymore, he scours the purple arena trying to spot her blood red silhouette but she's nowhere to be seen. A thin veil of panic and worry shoots through him, he hopes she's not sick, he knows sometimes nerves can get the best of her, and he does not, not for a second like this feeling of being apart from her right now.  
As he scans the boards he spots Marie France waving vigorously at him near the tunnel to the dressing rooms. He gets the message and faster than lightning is on the other side, with her ushering him through the curtains and whispering low so that only he can hear:  
'She's here, you two deserve a moment to yourselves. I won't let anyone in.'  
He couldn't be more grateful, and blesses yet again the day they decided to move to train at Gadbois at Marie-France and Patch's rink.  


Tessa is perched against a table for support, sipping from a bottle of water, still a little winded but mercifully calmer. The back lighting from the corridor beyond is outlining her graceful shape in a soft halo of gold light, he sees strands of hair that have come loose from her bun from all the hugs and embraces, swaying softly in the breeze of the overhead ventilator.  
He is so wound up he doesn't realize he is full on marching in with the energy of a charging rhino, he doesn't hesitate for a second and before she has the time to even think, he is on her, circling her in his arms, kissing her so hard it nearly hurts, only it doesn't because it's all he can do right now and it would hurt a lot more if he didn't do it.  
She seems to crumple slightly under him, overwhelmed by the unexpected exuberance, but she lets him kiss her, lets his tongue explore her and the tacit consent moves something primal in his gut so that he embraces her even tighter and presses even harder against her mouth till she puts her hand on his chest and pushes him back gently, breaking them only so slightly apart.

She looks at him utterly stunned, lips ajar. For a split second neither of them move, then she tilts her head up and kisses him back fervently.

So they have just won the Olympics, and in a dark dressing room as far away from home as they could possibly be and unbeknownst to everyone who is out there waiting to celebrate them, they make out for the first time ever in the twenty years of their partnership, they make out fiercely for every time either wanted to but didn't dare, they make out softly for every time they almost could have done but didn't.

The loudspeaker comes on announcing the medal award ceremony and without either of them saying a single word she wipes the lipstick of his mouth as he adjust the stray strands of her hair. They hold hands, make their way through the tunnel to the exit and go back out onto the arena amongst a storm of thunderous applause.


	4. Je sais Pas - (Celine Dion)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa needs support from Kaitlyn to process what happened in the dressing room.  
> 'Basically what you are telling me, or rather trying to convince yourself of, is that you think this was a completely freak incident, that you are blaming on Scott having taken his character too far AND being overcome with some sort of.. hmm.. adrenaline or testosterone rush?'  
> 'Yes' Tessa nods.  
> 'When will you two ever learn...' Kaitlyn trails off and in a second is snoring gently leaving Tessa hanging:  
> 'What? When will we ever learn what.. ?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's going to take her a while...

Pyeongchang - Girls dorm - Evening of Win

The night of their win it's late and as she fumbles with the card key to her room door, she's a little unfocused as she's still slowly coming down from the high of the day's events. Tessa has just left her family to make their way back to their own hotel after their last celebratory dinner before they leave the next day and she is finally looking forward to some sleep, although she does have a sneaking suspicion bed might not be in the cards quite yet.  
She drops the key twice but eventually succeeds in opening the door and her hunch is confirmed, a large tray of multicolored donuts is laid out on her bed with a note in Kaitlyn's flowing hand writing: 'Congrats to the Golden girl! Back in three - wait up!' Tessa smiles fondly, it's their ritual post competitions and despite she is so sleepy she is afraid she might pass out face first right into the sweet gift, she wouldn't want to miss catching up with her best friend and roommate for the world.  
She texts back: 'If you're not back quickly all you will find is an empty tray and a sleeping fatter me!'  


She proceeds to wipe off her makeup and slip into a polka dot t-shirt and shorts.  
Propping herself up onto her bed, while she waits for Kaitlyn she runs through her social media accounts.  
The apps reflect back at her an array of extraordinarily striking pictures of her and Scott executing their winning routine, their expressions intense, their bodies in perfect synchronicity, like one single entity fused into one, their focus solely on that moment. It almost feels as if she is looking at other people, finding it hard to connect the polished shots, which have perfectly frozen in time those instants forever, with the reality of the experience, which was a whirlwind of tumultuous sensations, in body and mind, and was over before she even knew it.

She's interrupted by a dull thud on the bottom part of the door. Tessa knows exactly what's going on, it's Kaitlyn with their foaming hot chocolates, she's using her foot to knock on the door because her hands no doubt are full.  
She opens the door to the beaming blonde.

'Heeey, so how's my girl? You and Scott were amazing, I am so proud of you guys!' She puts the cups down on the night stand closest to her own bed and enfolds her friend in a big hug.

'Give me one sec to get in my Pjs and then I'm all yours.'

She breezes into the bathroom still flaunting a surprising amount of energy considering the hour and the pressure they've all been under in the last few days and remerges shortly in her night attire, plopping herself onto Tessa's bed and adjusting the tray in the middle of them.

'Ready, Steady... GO!'

They both make a beeline for the dark chocolate ones with the rainbow sprinklers, of which thankfully there are two, not a coincidence, Kaitlyn knows her friend well and has thoughtfully gone for doubles of all their favourite ones. What the hell, it's a celebration, if they can indulge for once it has got to be now!

'Hmmm' Tessa sighs contentedly, 'I really didn't think I could eat today but I am just now realizing how hungry I actually am, thanks Kait!'

They munch contentedly whilst chatting about the events of the day, the other skaters' performances, joking about the surprisingly high degree of hot athletes in the Swedish team and how looking forward they are to the unexpected arrival and performance of their favourite band for the closing party. Tessa is mercifully distracted by the one thing that till now she hadn't been able to get out of her mind.  
An alert pops up on Tessa's phone, it's her sister Jordan sending her a particularly spectacular photo of the day, it depicts her and Scott entwined in a passionate embrace, they are holding each other so tight she can see the dents in her skin where his hands are firmly gripping her back, their faces touching, almost kissing. Almost...  
It's followed by a row of hearts, tears, no.1 emojis, cups, and 'I love you guys, night baby Sis.'  
Tessa sighs realizing her distraction was doomed to be short lived anyway. She quickly texts back a heart and 'Talk tomorrow J, have a safe flight.' Kaitlyn leans in to see.

'Wow! You two were on fire today! If I had an extinguisher close by I would have run in to spray you down!' she laughs.

'You can say that again..' Tessa mutters under her breath her eyes still fixed on the picture.

'A water hose would have been more appropr..' she hesitates,

Kaitlyn whips her head up real quick, 'Tess..?' she coaxes tilting her head inquisitively.  
Tessa looks at her straight in the eye. There's no point skirting around this. In fact if there's anyone she can talk to about 'it', it's going to be the one smart gal sitting across from her.  
'Ok,' she steadies herself, 'Here goes. So, after we won, I went back to the dressing room for a minute, just to get my breath back and Scott burst in, marching like he was part of the charge of the light brigade and before I could say a word he was kissing me, I mean really deeply kissing me, it was, err, intense...and it hadn't ever happened before..'

'Oh my God!' Kaitlyn squeals delightedly putting her hand up to her mouth.

'What did you do?' Kaitlyn holds her breath.

'Uh...I kissed him back, it was hot...he was hot...really hot.' she trails off remembering the exact moment the familiar feeling of his touch had turned into dark unchartered territory, foreign and electric.

'I guess we could have done with your fire extinguisher.' she chuckles.

'But since then, we've been with people all day and had interviews, then we split to have dinner with our families and everything has been so overwhelming, we haven't been alone since and I don't know what to make of it.'

'Tess is it that difficult to see? Come on' Kaitlyn chides her gently.

'You know what he gets like, he was so fired up, he was so in the moment, so in character, we both were.'

She pauses for a second going over the events of the afternoon in her head.

'I am just guessing it was a release of all the tension and build up. He was so focused on us, I think he would have done it again in front of everybody if I hadn't put the brakes on! I don't think it means anything, I was just surprised. I thought we'd passed that hurdle long ago and that intense snogging of the other team member wasn't going to be an option! I mean you remember when we were growing up how it was a running joke at the rink that we should get together? I guess it just became stale after the millionth time we heard it and it just sort of slid onto the back-burner! I never thought either one of us would act on it!’

'Oh I remember alright!' Kaitlyn nods her eyes twinkling.

'You and Andrew seem to have it all worked out, I don't know how you do it! With us.. it's a lot more work than meets the eye. Oh I don't know...' Tessa trails off.

'We did pass that hurdle Tess, we got it out of our system loooong ago. I think that's the difference. I'm not sure that in all the years I've known you that you two ever did!'

Tessa sighs, 'It's so difficult to explain, he's the person I care most about in the whole world but he's also the one who makes me the maddest! It's different with you two, you two are similar and you blend well. I always feel really serene around you. With us...we need to work on it...to keep that balance, you know what I mean?'

'I see it,' Kaitlyn laughs, 'but don't YOU see that is exactly what makes you two so great together?'

She pauses looking quizzically at her friend, 'Basically what you are telling me, or rather trying to convince yourself of, is that you think this was a completely freak incident, that you are blaming on Scott having taken his character too far AND being overcome with some sort of... hmm...adrenaline testosterone rush?'

'Yes' Tessa nods.

'Oh Tessa', Kaitlyn shakes her head with a resigned chuckle,' Any thoughts on what you are going to do about it?' She puts the tray on the night stand and she starts making her nest into her own bed.

'Hmmm, I don't know, I think I'll just let it go...but Kait?'

'I'm still listening...not for long but still checked in...'

'It was better than I could have ever imagined!' she sighs surprising herself for having actually said it out loud and for the relief that comes with that admission.

'When will you two ever learn...' Kaitlyn trails off and in a second is snoring gently leaving Tessa hanging:

'What? When will we ever learn what... ?'


	5. So Close - (Jon McLaughlin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Between them not even a teeny tiny mention of what happened back in the dressing room the day they won.  
> As if talking about it might break the enchantment.  
> So instead they keep tip toeing round the issue and round each other. They end up being almost preposterously polite. For two people who share roll on deodorant on a daily basis it really is a little ridiculous...

Pyeongchang - Olympic Village - days following the win

They don't talk about it, they don't as much as hint at it. But they both think about it. A lot in fact.

Yet neither mentions it. For the next couple of days whilst they are still boarding in the Olympic village they are so elated and so in sync that talk doesn't even seem necessary.  
They slide, oh so easily, back into the familiarity of being Tessa and Scott, best companions and business partners ever, albeit now the best ice dancing pair in Olympic history, gladly granting interviews, enthusiastically supporting the other members of Team Canada whilst their last competitions take place, taking pictures with fans, chatting to potential sponsors, enjoying their remaining time in Korea and generally being as professional as ever as well as their usual affable selves. They well know it will probably be their last Olympics and they make the most of every last minute. But they are closer, more connected than they've ever been, almost telepathic.

Tessa marvels, it's not the first time they've been this tight, certainly when they were kids they were extremely connected, bonded through the innocence of childhood, before the turbulence of adolescence set in, or the angst of their early twenties, but now there is something more, maybe it's because they are older and wiser, maybe because they worked so hard on their partnership, particularly in the last two years leading up to this moment.  
So she keeps telling herself that kiss was simply a by product of all they'd been through. She doesn't quite know what is going on exactly, but certainly there is lots more intense hugging and plenty of hand holding. They keep finishing each other's sentences in interviews, always speaking in glowing terms of the other. Almost as if they are too embarrassed to do it directly to each other's faces, so they end up declaring those praises to others instead.  
She feels him holding her a little tighter than usual but also with more carefulness, as if he's afraid he might break her. He seems to linger a little longer, as if to check in with her if she's ok for him to go, before disappearing off to some place for hours, as he typically does, and making sure to message her when he's getting back, a valiant effort at accountability she notices, from notoriously the worst texter in the world.

Yet between them not even a teeny tiny mention of what happened back in the dressing room the day they won.

As if talking about it might break the enchantment.

So instead they keep tip toeing round the issue and round each other. They end up being almost preposterously polite. For two people who share roll on deodorant on a daily basis it really is a little ridiculous.

Tessa thinks she may involuntarily have put a stop to that conversation from happening during the medal awarding ceremony.  
As they had surfaced from that dark tunnel, her body still vibrating from the sensuousness of his embrace, to say she was feeling overwhelmed was a huge understatement, she felt like she was having some out of body experience and if Scott hadn't been firmly holding on to her she might have floated away just like the feather in Forrest Gump.  
But Scott had latched onto her, thank God, before she unravelled right then and there on the podium.  
She had looked up at him tentatively, at that point not even trying to hold back the tears, into the most unwavering and softest gaze she had ever seen. She could still feel the current strong between them and for one split second it seemed as if they were about to melt right into each other again, oblivious to the rest of the world. It was a flash, a big bang, but she became conscious of the fact he was relentlessly getting closer and if she didn't avert him they were about to be deep kissing again in front of the whole arena, part of the Olympic committee, the authorities who were about to medal them, as well as just a few million TV viewers from all around the world.  
She had looked down ever so slightly but it had been enough for him to get the message. He squeezed her neck reassuringly:

'It's ok babe.' She smiled back gratefully and leaned into him a little further.

And that was that.

Yet the odd thing was that Tessa didn't find what happened odd at all. She was surprised, stunned to say the least, but somehow it didn't feel in the least bit awkward. 


	6. Out of Touch - (Hall and Oats again)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It never ceases to amaze him, this extraordinary woman, in appearance so delicate and elegant, yet maybe he was the only person in the world who truly knew how intensely powerful her body could be, and promisingly in many more ways than one...

Pyeongchang - Boys Dorm - Evening of farewell party

Scott is pacing up and down in the small two bedroom dorm trying to pack his suitcase, but is failing miserably at folding, eventually gives up and starts chucking things in randomly in the hope the large Team Canada bag will close anyways.  
Patrick is trying to listen through a mental prep meditation on his iPad but at the next bang of drawers realizes it's not going to happen, takes his ear phones off, turns over on to the bed to face his room-mate and props himself up on his elbow. 

'What's up man, you seem like a tiger in a cage, where the hell do you find the energy. I'm done after this week.' He lets out a whooshing sound. 

'Yeah huhum' more throwing of pants. Some nervous rummaging in the bathroom.

Chiddy has been boarding with Scott since they weren't tall enough for rides, he knows everything there is to know about his buddy's moods, about pre competition nerves, about post competition comedowns, when he's up for goofing around or so tense that he's had to take him for a run to let off steam, and right now he knows that something is not sitting well with him.  
He also knows he doesn't need to press him about it. He rarely holds things in anyway. It doesn't take long.

'I kissed Tess.'

'Awww that's cute' Patrick sighs relieved, giving him heart eyes.

'No, I REALLY kissed Tessa.'

'Wait, what, OH!' he sits up on the bed with the realization.  
'...And? Is that a good or a bad thing?'

'I don't know. A good thing I guess, she kissed me back...'

'Eeeeey!' Chiddy grins reaching out to high five him, he couldn't be happier to hear this particular bit of news although he's not going to out that thought just yet.

'It's just I'm not sure what she thi...how she feels about it.'

'You mean you didn't talk about it?'

'No, we never got the chance, it happened right after our last skate and then there was always something going on, we were never alone.' he hesitates,  
'I just don't want to wreck our relationship by putting my foot in it, just because we, well certainly I, got carried away but...'

'But...?' at this point Chiddy is too invested in the story to care about being tactful.

'I guess gentlemen shouldn't kiss and tell, but it's too late for that now so.. it's just that it was hot man, really hot.. oooof! I wasn't expecting it to be so...hell I don't know what I was expecting...'  
he shudders at the recollection of Tessa's graceful frame in his arms, initially tensing and then melting into him like liquid fire. It never ceases to amaze him, this extraordinary woman, in appearance so delicate and elegant, yet maybe he was the only person in the world who truly knew how intensely powerful her body could be, and promisingly in many more ways than one...  
His mind trails off to all kind of ungodly thoughts before he is thankfully interrupted by his mate.

'Wow, you'll figure it out bud, you've got the time now, you're going be together for a while with all the skate shows coming up, so take it easy, don't pressurize yourself and just see where it goes.'

'Man I don't know how you get to be so wise, when did you become the Master Yoda of Ice? Either that or you're this chill because you're getting laid! Some of us haven't had that practice in a while dammit!'

'Hell, I forgot about that, come to think of it, you're going to be with me too in the next few weeks on the road. I swear to God Scott if you get carried away again after the Moulin Rouge routine and try to climb into bed with me I'll call the police.'

That cracks Scott up and Chiddy is relieved to see his friend finally ease up. With a dead serious face he turns to him.  
'May the Force be with you.'

'Always. C'mon let's go see a band.'


	7. Who are You when I'm not Looking - (Blake Shelton)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He can feel that urge to grip her really tight about to overcome him again. He wants to press down hard on that tempting mouth, but he doesn't want it to happen here, not in front of everybody, especially when they haven't yet had a chance to be alone once and especially when she had already unmistakably pulled back the other day, the moment they were being watched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's going to have to happen at some point...

Pyeongchang - Canada House - Last night in Korea

Canada House is packing. It's a sea of red and black checkered shirts and toques and beers and it's overflowing with enthusiasm and throbbing with pent up hormonal energy. There is a lot of hugging and greeting and even some downright open mouthed kissing going in some corners.

The band is coming out soon and Scott is trying to locate Tessa in the backstage as they are the ones meant to go out and introduce the act within the next few short minutes.  
Finally he spots her chatting vivaciously to the lead singer, while the other members of the band are grouped together behind them for a pre-show drink. She is dressed casually in leggings and a team Canada shirt with her freshly washed hair cascading down around her shoulders, just a hint of lip stick and mascara. Finally she looks rested and happy, downright glowing in fact.

He's so accustomed to her daily presence, in her work out gear, no make up, in training, sweating it out with him on the ice, that seeing her right there apart from him, so relaxed and at ease and out of their mundane context, she almost seems like a different person and it's not lost on him how incredibly pretty she is.  
One of the athletes from the hockey team is there too. A tall rugged blonde guy Scott sort of knows but not quite as well as some of the other members of the team. He's got his hand on her arm and they are laughing about something. It looks like he is trying to demonstrate to her some kind of dance position, and in a second has got her entwined in a sort of knotted grip.

'Yeah right!' Scott says to himself thinking that the move would be more appropriate in a six year old's game of Twister. He swoops in breaking them apart and putting his arm round her back, first greeting the singer warmly:  
'Hey Max, not so long time no see, thank you so much for coming out and doing this! Everyone is really looking forward to it!' and then to the player, Bob or Rob, he thinks it is,  
'So I see you're thinking of changing sports, are you trying to recruit my partner? I'd better warm you she is still taken for a loong time yet!'  
He does not budge, arm still firmly round her.   
Bob or Rob chuckles, 'I think I got it all wrong, I should have figured it out way back when that I could have been on the ice with a beautiful girl instead of having eleven hefty guys charge at me for an hour. By the way, you guys were AMAZING! Congratulations, you did us all proud.'

Tessa feels Scott grip relax on her back. Evidently it was the right thing to say as in a second Scott, ultimately always the warm guy, seems to have loosened up and is now chatting away with both guys about the hockey team's matches and how tough the semi final had been against the Germans.  
'What was THAT about?' she asks herself. She thinks she has just been witness to the onset of a mini sparring match but thankfully Bob, (it is indeed Bob) backed off right in time. Normally such an exchange would have annoyed her but tonight she is having a whale of a time. At last she is beginning to relax enough to be able enjoy their triumph, and secretly Scott's protectiveness is making her feel more than a little smug. It warms something deep inside her knowing that even just the suggestion of someone else skating with her bothered him that much.

It’s time to introduce the band and they head out onto the stage holding hands. As soon as they come out to the hot and raucous crowd, their voices are drowned in a sea of cheers and wolf whistles.  
Scott laughs and puts out his hands to try and shush everyone down. Eventually he succeeds and is able to get a word in, thanking everyone and singing praises for all the athletes, their families and the organizations who supported them. He's always very good at stuff like this, Tessa thinks in admiration, so personable and confident, and a memory of his body pressing strongly against her flashes through her mind.  
She quickly tries to distract herself and she notes he is beginning to lose his voice. So she chips in to the rescue, finishing the introductions as the band finally comes out and Max takes over the microphone.  
Scott guides her off stage and they make their way towards their team mates who are waiting for them by the bar, with two tall glasses of foaming beers. Finally they can start celebrating all together.

The band is killing it. Everyone is having a blast. All evening they dance their socks off and sing their hearts out.  
Scott's not sure how many beers he's had but everyone wants to talk to him and everyone he talks to seems to want to buy him one, and then he ends up reciprocating, so he's lost track well over a couple hours ago. But thankfully he's also drunk lots of water and headed out for some fresh air a couple times when the room was getting too stuffy for him, so he's managed to stay miraculously on top of the drink. Buzzed but far from really high.  
Tessa is on the stage dancing with Max, she is actually singing, singing for God's sakes, something she would never be seen dead doing and he is endeared and a little worried at the same time, that this new found looseness may be indication that she also had one too many than she's used to.

Bob is back on the prowl, he's honing in on her trying to get her off the stage, dammit. He'd thought that hazard had been averted, and what...is she flirting with him? He can't see so well that far but it looks like she is putting her arm around him so he can lift her off and she appears to be leaning her head on his shoulder. He puts her down without letting her go and they start dancing together.  
'Right that's it, this is not happening.' Scott tells himself resolutely. He also convinces himself he is doing this because the guy is a menace, is clearly high, and is going to take advantage of a girl who is not quite that lucid either and he'll be damned if he'll let this happen to the skating partner whom he has promised to take care of ever since they were kids.

He sashays in to the dance floor and in one smooth move, one that Bob has no contest with, puts his hands on her waist exclaiming in mock surprise, 'Theeeere you are? Do you mind man, the Molton beer guys have been wanting to say hi to Tess for hours and they are about to leave.' Tessa, feeling Scott's familiar hold on her, instinctively responds, as Scott extracts her easily with what ends up to be a trimmed down version of one of their lifts and she gracefully points her legs out and does a little twirl in the air with her arm.  
There is a small round of applause and a couple of whistles from the people crowded in their area.  
Bob looks stumped and is soon sucked into a ring of the women's hockey team doing a round of shots.

'Perfect, back where you belong.' Scott congratulates himself primly.  
Tessa giggles. She can't stop, actually it looks like she is about to have a full on giggling fit and if Scott knows her at all well, he knows this is not going to end anytime soon.

'T, how many have you had?' he looks at her inquisitively whilst setting her down.

She looks up at him innocently without taking her arms off from round his neck.

'One,'

'One cup or one bucket?'

That sets her giggles off again. She eventually comes up for air and feigning a sexy look with one eyebrow raised and in a lowered voice,

'Do you come here often dark stranger, barging in on damsels who maybe are not so in distress as you think they are?' she smirks at him with affected seductiveness.

'Yep that's what I do for a living, the damsels are actually one damsel and it's usually you, and I foresee the distress a-coming, it may not be apparent to you now but I'm a guy and I know what guy...'

She leans in further, long eyelashes lowered, mouth an inch from his own, and now she is dead serious and whispers,

'You know what Moir?'

It unravels him and he can feel that urge to grip her really tight about to overcome him again. He wants to press down hard on that tempting mouth, but he doesn't want it to happen here, not in front of everybody, especially when they haven't yet had a chance to be alone once and especially when she had already unmistakably pulled back the other day, the moment they were being watched.  
He knows her current bravado is the drink speaking, probably mixed with a sugar rush as well, he wouldn't be surprised she had finally indulged in some of the banned foods they had been denied for months, he most certainly had, and remembers well after their last Olympics, feeling a total high at the first double mac with fries he had had in two years. Sugar and carbs do funny things to you after a long stint of denial.  
Gently he unwraps her hands from round his neck.

'Tess tomorrow we have press, maybe we should get you back to the dorm eh?'

The disconnection is like a cable being pulled out of an electric socket, she lets go of his hands and in an instant they are back to being Tessa and Scott, the considerate business partners, polite again.

She gives in, 'Oh ok, I guess it is late and I should get some sleep, but you don't have to go with me. You can stay, you're having fun, Bob can walk me back.'

'Oh no he isn't, Bob is doing nothing of the kind. Besides if I am seeing right I think he is doing body shots in his right defenseman's navel, I think he may have got the men's' and women's teams mixed up...'

'Or maybe not, who knows...' Tessa raises her eyebrows and the effect is quite comical. They both relax.

'Cmmon, where's your jacket? Let's say bye to the guys and get out of here.' Scott ushers her forward, they eventually locate the remaining members of their team, a handful of which have already flaked out, bid their farewells and make their way out of the venue and into the fresh night air outside.


	8. A Little less Conversation a Little More Action - (Elvis)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It happens

Pyeongchang - Girls room

It's chilly and she's still a little unsteady, when she shivers he puts his arm round her automatically, as he's done a million times before, and they walk, entwined and in complete silence, all the way up to her door.

The fresh air jolts Tessa partly out of her daze, sobering her up enough to realize that any degree of a hook up with Bob would have been a terrible, terrible idea, that she would have regretted it the next day, not just because the guy was obviously a douche, although a handsome one, she'll give him that at least, but because she really cares what Scott might think of her and throwing herself away at some insipid jock is most definitely, not only not her style, but even more certainly, not the ideal way to impress him.

Initially she had been a little irritated that he thought she might need rescuing, as if she wasn't perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but ultimately she had been grateful that he had looked out for her, he always did, and she had to admit that her judgement in that moment had not been at it's best.  
Yet there seemed to be something else, she couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she couldn't help wondering, was he just being protective or if actually, dare she say it, had he been...jealous?

Her phone beeps and she halts their pace. Scott waits for her to answer and busies himself with rummaging deep in his pockets. Eventually he digs up some Lindor chocolates which he offers her. She declines with a nod, God knows she's had too many sweets in the last couple days, whilst she tries to make out what's on the screen. It's a message from Kaitlyn.

'What the hell was that!? Andrew and I were laughing so hard, didn't you see us? Kudos to the man. That was a master cockblock if I ever saw one!' shock emoji, smirk emoji, screaming emoji, wink wink emoji. hearts, couple dancing emoji, 'I'm heading to the Swedish hospitality. Don't wait up!' More wink wink emojis, Swedish flag, and clinking glasses.

'All good? Scott asks a little apprehensively.

He doesn't want to seem nosy but for a second he worries she and Bob might have exchanged numbers and it's the guy again in a last ditch attempt at hooking up with her.

'All good. It's Kaitlyn, she er, wanted to remind me to set the alarm for tomorrow.'

Tessa feels a little guilty about lying, but is also elated to learn that although what had been going on hadn't been clear to her, it had pretty much been glaringly obvious to her friends.

And so they set back off towards the girls dorm, alone for the first time in days and now that there is a chance to say something, neither one of them does. Not a word.

Finally they are outside her door, she fumbles with the key yet again, mumbling to herself 'What is it with this stupid key!' and trying to act nonchalantly. She is more aware of his proximity now, and that there is no one around and it is beginning to feel slightly awkward.  
Yet it looks like neither wants to disrupt the precious equilibrium they seem to have regained, but both are perfectly aware that something has shifted since the other day's events and as much as they've tried to revert back time by pretending everything is exactly the same, it isn't really, not one single bit.  
Scott helps her out and taking the card out of her hand, with one smooth swipe has her door open.

'There you go Champ!'

Hmm, he's stopped calling her 'Kiddo' since the day they won, it's been' T', or 'Tess' or 'Babe' a few times, but the childhood nickname seems to momentarily have gone out the window.

'I'll see you tomorrow then.' He squeezes her arm. She is looking a little flustered and he doesn't know if it's the drinks or the excitement of the night's events, but if she doesn't go in quickly he won't be accountable for his actions. So much for being the gallant gentleman, he hovers waiting for her to go all the way in safely (from him?) through the door.

Tessa is suddenly feeling very exposed, it doesn't look like either of them is going to break this conspiracy of silence and be damned if she's going to be the one to do it first.

'See you tomorrow good Sir Knight!' she smiles jokingly and closes the door behind her.

Scott lets out a whoosh of air hesitating outside her door, not quite sure what to do with himself. He is genuinely trying to do the right thing, he's just not sure what the right thing to do is. All he knows is he is relieved she didn’t go back with the sleaze ball and that he feels a lot better knowing she is securely back in her room.

'Wait what, am I being possessive? No, no, caring, considerate, that's it.' he coaxes himself but really he is not even buying that version himself.

Tessa is still standing on the other side of the door and can't quite bring herself to take her jacket off and start making preparations for bed. Her mind is filled with flashes of Scott at ten, at sixteen, at twenty, at twenty five, holding her up in practice, entwined with her in performance, and more recently now merging into her in the murky dressing room, swooping in to mark his territory around her tonight, and she wonders when the hell did she fail to see her spiky-haired, goofy, childhood companion turning into this confident and damn hot, red blooded male?

What did she miss?

Eventually she strips down to her underwear slinging over a shirt for warmth and heads to the bathroom to remove her makeup. She realizes she forgot to thank him for walking her and thinks a quick text should be none of a big deal, it doesn't mean anything in particular right? But just before she starts tapping into her phone there is knocking  at her door.

She opens it to find Scott  still standing there, leaning on the door frame, head cocked to one side looking  at her like a dark horse.

'Oh hi I was just abou...' he doesn't let her finish.

He grips her face in his hands and pulls her into him, probing his tongue deep into her mouth and pressing his muscular body against her.  
He's like a tornado again and she can't resist him, his hands find her body under her open shirt, pressing down into her soft and naked skin, sliding his fingers all the way down into the satin veil of her thong, grabbing her naked ass firmly, lifting her right off her feet. She wraps her legs around his hips and she can feel him hot, hard and ready, pressing right in her centre.  
So much for foreplay, they both think for an instant, and then all bets are off. 

He breaks away from her face for one second, their lips just millimeters apart and with that raspy voice he'd come down with in the last few days murmurs: 'I give in T, you win.'

And then he's in her mouth again, filling her up, trailing patterns with his tongue on her neck, biting her collar bone, tasting her flesh.  
His hands, the smell of his hair, his shape against her, she knows everything about him, yet it feels like a whole new person is possessing this familiar body of his, now possessing her. The combination is enthralling.

He carries her into the room, her legs still firmly entwined around him. Tessa is able to let go of her grip on his back for the instant  it takes for her to be able to slam the door shut behind them.  
There is a table against the wall and he props her on top of it. One arm now free he leans himself on the counter top for support and without breaking contact with her mouth, starts slowly rocking against her, separated from penetrating her right then and there only by the thin fabric of her underwear and the coarse cloth of his jeans.

For once in her life Tessa can't think, she short circuited the second she had opened the door and he had grasped her face, delving into her with that gaze, hungry and earnest. She is mesmerized by the reflection of Scott's well-built frame in the mirror on the wall in front, gently thrusting into her, her limbs encircling him.  
And suddenly she desperately wants to see him doing exactly that but fully naked.  
She breaks away from him just far enough to be able to stare deep into his eyes.  
Without flinching she bids him in a whisper: 'Take your clothes off. '

Scott couldn't imagine being any more aroused than he is now, holding Tessa's pliant semi naked body in his arms, whilst she is letting him do pretty much what he wants to her. Her need for him excites him further. He realizes his teenage fantasy and the one that's been making him hot and bothered more recently in his dreams, is really about to happen and if he doesn't slow himself down for a minute it's going to run away with him all too soon.  
'Have mercy on a man Tess, you know it's been a while...'  
He draws back slightly and steadies himself with both hands on the counter, pressing his forehead against her forehead, eyes closed, steadying his breathing.

Of course she knows. They've been attached at the hip in the last two years preparing for this season. She knows he's forsaken dating to focus on their training, as after all has she (although she always wondered if he had hooked up with someone discreetly on the side considering the insane amount of energy he's always radiating _._ After all she had a couple times.)  
It dawns on her that sex or rather lack of thereof, maybe IS why he has been so wired up at times. The thought he has waited till now and is directing his lust at her, despite the fair amount of females she has witnessed on innumerable occasions, throwing themselves at him, turns her on even more.

As he rests against her temple, she has been slowly undoing his shirt, discarding it on the floor. He is letting her have her way, lifting his arms so she can release him of his clothes. She snakes her hands under his t-shirt drawing it up and off over his head whilst grazing her nails lightly over his back. She unfastens his belt but unbuttons only the top of his trousers.  
He is anticipating the relief her stroke will bring to his stiffness but she breaks all contact, leaving him untouched and she leans back onto the table.

'You don't get to kiss me and then plead mercy. Finish what you started Moir.'  
She raises one leg up on the table, leaving her other long slender limb hanging, only the thinnest line of pink silk between her legs.

If people only knew. He's seen this side emerge in performances. The sweet, self-possessed, gracious girl everyone adores, transfigured by her characters, into relentless temptress, cruel man eater, seductive vamp. She's stronger than even she knows herself.  
In the back of his mind he wonders if she's been like this with anyone of her past boyfriends but aborts the thought immediately. He knows she feels comfortable connecting only with him on the ice and he prays to God it's the same now. He loves the idea he may be the only one to know exactly to which extent Miss Tessa can be nasty with a man. With one sweep he frees himself of trousers and shorts and stands fully naked in front of her.

Seeing him like this is exhilarating. He is as smooth and solid as one of the statues she'd admired in the Musée Rodin in Paris. She can't resist glimpsing into the mirror at his perfect rear. He hasn't realized she can see him and it gives her a voyeuristic kick knowing that view is for her eyes only. She snakes her hand down in between her legs, parting the silk fabric to the side and gently begins stroking herself right in front of him whilst unwaveringly gazing into his eyes.

'Babe..' she can see the thunder approaching again, his erect dick is pointing straight at her like an arrow ready to shoot, but she extends her leg, places a foot on his chest _,_ preventing him from moving forward, keeping him there at a safe distance.

'First I want you to touch yourself.'

He grabs her foot. 'What the fuck are you doing to me?' he whispers.

'Nothing that I wouldn't want you to do to me.'

He groans, taking her toe into his mouth, sucking gently on it whilst slowly beginning to siphon his stiff cock with the other hand.

They don't brake eye contact whilst they stay right there, one in front of the other, unhurriedly self stimulating, separated only by her long extended leg, till his pumps start getting more urgent and she can see him tensing and sense that he is close. She opens a little further, sliding two fingers into her slit. That does it, he comes, ramming his heaving chest really hard against her foot. Thank God for her training that she can brace him up with her muscular leg or he probably would have collapsed right down to the floor. 

'Fuck Tess,' he grunts breathlessly, squeezing her ankle, as he recovers slowly. Eventually he releases her, not after having planted a string of kisses up her calf, and grabs the first item of material he finds on the floor (which happens to be his t-shirt) dabbing himself off as best he can.

Tessa is still on the table looking extremely smug.  
In the dim room, lit only by the soft glow of one bed lamp, she looks absolutely magnificent, still wearing her thin silk underwear, legs slightly ajar, her hands now resting on those perfect creamy thighs. His longing for her is so strong he's not even surprised he's ready again.

'You know you're not getting away with this!' he growls.

Tessa is reveling in the sense of triumph of having succeeded in making him orgasm without practically touching her. Well minimal touching, but she sees the storm approaching and knows with a thrill of anticipation that this time she won't be able to avert it.  
He moves forward purposefully, positioning himself between her legs, taking her hands in his and bringing them up to his chest.  
For a short moment he hesitates looking at her questioningly.  
Of course he knows she's on birth control, they'd timed everything exactly so that she could be pain free and in top form for when they needed to perform at their best, but he also wants to be sure she wants him, just like this, bare and raw, as much as he wants her, because one second more of this game and he wont be able to stop.

'It's ok,' and her voice has gone quiet and soft now.' I trust you more than anyone in the world.'

That declaration ignites something deep within him and he can't wait any longer.  
His thumb brushes the thin fabric aside and with a deep groan he slowly pushes into her, she's so soft and wet and yielding and his dick is deliciously straight and full, the connection is like an electric charge lighting up their bodies to every sensation.  
He encircles her with his arms, his hands under her butt, his face pressed against hers, he pulls her into his every thrust, gently now, relishing in the novel feeling of possessing her.

Tessa looks over his shoulder and can see the reflection of his fine bare ass driving relentlessly into her. She applauds herself on her previous inspiration. Relieving his initial tension is paying her ample rewards.

In due course he lays her back down on the table, entwining his fingers in her hands, lips lightly brushing against hers. They don't touch each other anywhere else now, they don't kiss, they don't talk, they just breathe steadily into each others mouths, joined at the centre, in the only part of their bodies that hadn't ever yet connected, entirely focused on this new sensation.  
Tessa's whimpers start getting more urgent and she embraces him bringing him in closer. He can feel her tensing and knows he won't be able to hold back much longer but he doesn't let up until he's satisfied she's about to come. She's swaying into him to match his rhythm and when he feels her nails digging into his back he thrusts harder and faster. She moans loudly and now it's her turn to kiss him fiercely and deeply, her whole lithe body trembling against him as she exhales her climax on his lips.

As she tries to slow her breathing Tessa has a split second revelation of why people use the expression 'seeing stars', but is able to focus enough to benefit from the mirror's last parting gift for her. The image of Scott's body shuddering inside her as he comes crashing down, with her loose hair tumbling all over his shoulder is an image which will inhabit her dreams for a long time to come in the following weeks.

And now he is holding her really tight just like the other day on the ice after they won, stroking the skin across her back, kissing her hungrily again, first intensely and then softly, as if he can't still get enough of her.

He doesn't say ‘I love you’ and she doesn't say ‘I love you’. They don't need to. They both know it as surely as night turns to day. They stay like that for the longest time, their silence louder than words and it's an eternity before they are able to break apart.

 


	9. Out of Reach - (Gabrielle)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now in the glare of broad daylight she felt displaced and...different for want of a better word, as if something had cracked open and she wasn't quite sure what 'it' was. She knew she'd have to face him eventually, in fact they had a press conference together in thirty minutes and truly she did not know if she would have the guts to look at him in the eye. This is the same Scott she spends the most part of her days with, only it is not the same anymore because she can't get that image out of her head, of him fucking her in the mirror.

Pyeongchang - Caffetteria and Press conference

The day after Tessa is flustered really flustered.

Under the mundane neon lights of the Caffetteria, carrying her breakfast tray to the table, as she goes through the motions of a very ordinary morning routine, she can't help wondering if last night had happened in another dimension or if she'd just had an intense erotic dream, were it not for the very real soreness in her thighs and the satisfying sensation of having been truly and royally fucked.

She hasn't been able to sleep a wink and between the drink, the party, and the rest of the nights events, is strongly feeling in need of some vitamin C, provided in the form of the pressed juice she has just got herself, and a couple of aspirins, courtesy of Kaitlyn, who is sitting across from her, sipping an espresso and looking a little worse for wear herself.  
What the hell happened?

They sure had put on one hell of a show in that bedroom. She can't help herself from smiling though as she remembers Scott's self-satisfied look when she had teased him that that had been a performance worthy of at least another Gold medal. He had been dead serious when he had suggested they should go for another medal right away because it would be 'good for their training' and that had thankfully made her laugh, diffusing the intensity and the magnitude of what had just happened between them.  
She had then been able to break away enough to take the opportunity to send him back to his bedroom despite his protests, as she knew Kaitlyn would be back any time and she wasn't quite prepared for anyone to barge in to see her with her thighs wrapped around the naked ass of her skating partner of twenty years.  
He had lingered on the threshold making sure she was really ok for him to go, then kissed her ever so softly on the lips 'See you tomorrow T!' and she had finally been able to close the door.

Now in the glare of broad daylight she felt displaced and...different for want of a better word, as if something had cracked open and she wasn't quite sure what 'it' was.  
She knew she'd have to face him eventually, in fact they had a press conference together in thirty minutes and truly she did not know if she would have the guts to look at him in the eye knowing that they had seen each other naked like that and not only in the literal sense of the word.

'What's up gal??' Kaitlyn knows Tessa is not a morning person at the best of times, but she seems far away, as if something is eating away at her thoughts.

'Just tired I guess.' Tessa mumbles into her cup.

Kaitlyn let's it sit making a mental note she will get back to check in with her friend later. She is pretty sure something is up.

And there they come. The boys saunter in, Scott and Patrick and Andrew and Javier, queuing at the self-service and laughing about something or other. Scott looks a little ruffled but surprisingly perky, when the hell did he get taller? Maybe it's because for once in his life he is actually standing up straight. He spots Kaitlyn and Tessa and looks at her as if the sun has just come out.

'Heeey you two, want us to bring you anything else from here?'

'Nope's ok.' Tessa mutters without lifting her eyes. Kaytlin does them both the favour, shouting back, 'No thanks we're good, guys!'

The boys make their way over amidst animated chatter, something about the party and the band. Scott puts his tray on the table, draws out the chair next to Tessa, plonks himself down, puts his arm round her gives her a tight squeeze, presses a kiss to her temple and keeps on nattering away about the latest rumour. Apparently some members of the women's hockey team have been retrieved from the German camp and sorely reprimanded for posting some raunchy Instagram posts, mostly to do with mooning through the Olympic rings. Since deleted, much to everyone’s dismay.

He lets his arm rest on the back of her chair. She supposes that technically he is not embracing her but she feels herself squirming anyway.  
This is the same Scott she spends the most part of her days with, training, sweating, discussing routines, mostly joking, occasionally swearing (usually him although it's never at her and he always profusely apologizes anyway), travelling, competing, winning, only it is not the same anymore because she has actually seen his fully erect dick and seen him come (twice) and she can't get that image out of her head, of him fucking her in the mirror.

Scott senses her discomfort and rubs her back trying to get her to look at him, 'What? What's up?' he stares at her wide eyed with the most innocent of faces but there is a badly concealed smirk lurking underneath there. She knows he knows, and she can't help but giggle. As usual he's succeeded in making her laugh. Nobody is bothered by the exchange and it goes mostly unnoticed, they always have some inside joke going on anyway. (Except for Kaitlyn whose intuition has always been as sharp as a razor blade.)  
Tessa excuses herself to go to the ladies to freshen up before the press conference and before he has time to say another word she shoots off with Kaitlyn hot on her heels. Scott gazes longingly at her graceful figure stepping away, noticing with a hint of pride that she turns more than a few heads on her way.

He didn't' sleep much but the few hours he managed to, he slept really well and this morning he is not feeling tired at all. In fact he feels refreshed and calm. Calm is a novel concept for Scott. It is a totally new experience, not having something gnawing at him, not feeling the urge to be doing something, to be running off somewhere, to have something to prove to someone, and he is not sure how to deal with it, so he doesn't, and just settles into this new state, letting the new feeling be. One thing he does know is that Tessa is uncomfortable about last night and he imagines her churning things over and it worries him that she may have regretted crossing the (rather unclear) boundary of their unique relationship.  
He didn't regret it!  
He knew HE had overstepped that line in the dressing room, when he had come on to her like a ton of bricks. Maybe it had been the exceptionality of the situation and what they had just accomplished that had busted his courage. He had felt it was going to be 'now or never' and that if he hadn't seized the moment, as soon as that instant passed, they would have slid right back into being Tessa and Scott, besties and workmates, and he couldn’t have lived with himself if he had let that opportunity pass.  
Truth be told there had been another (brief) inner struggle those few minutes last night outside her room. He hadn’t wanted to act like a dick, especially after allegedly having rescued her from another man’s advances. But the fact she had kissed him back so passionately in the dressing room, had convinced him to knock on that door. When she had opened, surprised and flushed, barely covered by the shirt which exactly matched his own, he wouldn't be ashamed to admit he totally lost his cool.

And what happened had been damn amazing, he recollects the exhilarating feeling of letting her seduce him first, and then being fused so deep into her later... soo deep..'

‘Scott? SCOTT? Come on it’s about to start.’ Andrew is calling him over. He has to sober up his thoughts really quickly. The press conference is starting in five minutes.

Tessa is nowhere to be seen, so he heads to the press room alone. She is already there when he arrives, nervously tapping into her phone. She affords him a fleeting look and a ‘Hey there,’ but it is pretty obvious she is trying to avoid him.  
Usually they always meet up first, check in with each other on what topics may be brought up, and head in together to put up a united front for the press but this time they make their way separately to their seats.

It is the usual, gushing compliments, congratulations and questions about their career and the future and then it comes up as always, the million dollar question: considering their amazing on ice connection, are they together in real life? Out of the corner of his eye Scott glimpses Tessa tensing her lips and he'll be damned if he will let them make her feel uncomfortable. This is just between them anyway, not the rest of the world. Besides in all honesty he doesn’t even know himself what they are at this stage, and he is able to compose a very diplomatic and firm answer about not having had time for any personal relationships, but that now that they were soon to retire they were open to new possibilities.  
She doesn’t flinch, so he prays she is satisfied with that reply and also secretly hopes she read the message he is trying to get across in between the lines.

As soon as it is over she is up and out. He tries to follow her but she is too quick for him and he is intercepted by a Korean radio host who will not ease up on getting a good sound bite out of him. The guy turns out to be quite fun to talk to and he ends up spending more time with him than he had hoped, but as soon as he can extricate himself from the throng of reporters, his main thought is to find her as soon as possible and make sure things are cool with them.

Also he wouldn't mind kissing her again but knows that he may be pushing his luck this time.


	10. I Stay Away - (Alice in Chains)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa needs to find somewhere quiet to think and ends up in a broom cupboard.

Pyeongchang - utilities room

'Tessa seriously are you hiding?' it's Kaitlyn.

‘Ok woman, we’re not moving from here until you’re telling me everything’s ok!’ she exclaims sliding down onto the floor to sit down next to her friend who looks more than a little forlorn, leaning up against a broom cupboard. ‘Scott’s been looking for you everywhere, he’s getting quite worried, and so was I, he said you didn’t answer his text, so he asked if I could track you. You've been dead quiet since this morning and from what I know, Olympic gold medallists are meant to skip and whoop and celebrate, flash their metal at everyone in sight, sign autographs, load up on freebies, cash in on lunches and they most certainly don’t hide alone in Stadium utilities rooms as far away from their partner, and concerned friend,’ she adds as a quick after thought, ‘as they can get! Thank God I had you on the Find Friends app. This is not like you at all!’

They had connected their phones years ago on tour with the promise to keep an eye out for each other considering the enormous amount of travel they did often alone. They were both super savvy travellers, but you never knew right?

‘I’m sorry Kait, I didn’t mean to worry anyone or be inconsiderate, I'll text him back now I promise. I just needed a moment to myself to think and this is the only place where no one is constantly coming and going.’

‘Ready to share?’ her friend exhorts her gently.

She's ready.  
So she proceeds to recount to her friend a VERY watered down version of the events of the previous night. (No mirrors or table tops)  
'And then I just about managed to persuade him to go back to his room shortly before you arrived.' she finishes.

Kaitlyn takes it all in and Tessa can see she is thinking it over. She is grateful her chum is not minimizing her uneasiness, in fact if there is anyone who can understand, of all people it will be Kaitlyn.  
'Ok so you finally have sex with the work partner you've been with since you were a kid, I get that, I get that could be a little weird, but when you told me the other day he'd kissed you, you didn't seem so contrary to the idea. So what is it exactly that's upsetting you now?' Kaitlyn as always goes straight to the point.

'Truth is, I'm still not exactly sure Kait.' she sighs.' These last two years in training have been the best we've ever had. You know how it's not always been easy with us. We are such different people. He can be a right handful when he's in the wrong mood and I know I'm not exactly communicative when I get annoyed. Case in point look where I am now…’ she gestures to the buckets and cleaning products stacked on the shelves around them.

‘It’s just that we always have to work at it. But this time we knew exactly what we needed to do, we planned everything out, we got on better than we ever have, even technically we've worked better than we ever have, and it paid off, we came here and won and we were so...connected. I know we skated great but it's been a ton of effort. I love skating with him more than anything in the world and I guess this might change things. I'm afraid it’s not going to be the same anymore and I don't want to lose that. Any of that.'

Kait looks at her gently 'T, 'Whatever makes you think you would lose any of 'that'?'

What Tessa really isn't able to say out loud is the correct pronoun.  
It's not 'that. It's 'him' she wouldn't be able to lose ‘him’.

'Because, because when relationships change, when people hook up, then they can also split up and then we might not skate together anymore.' she can feel a small lump forming in her throat but she'll be damned if she'll give in.

'You do realize that Andrew and I have hooked up and split up at least three times in our career, and not only do we still skate together but we practically live together?'

This makes Tessa smile. 'Andrew is handsome, self-possessed, tidy, punctual and an excellent sommelier, you are wise to keep him around!'

'And Scott is..?

'Scott is...also handsome, fiery, messy, always late, and only has beer in his fridge. He's hilarious though.' she smiles fondly, 'And now I know he is also sexy AF' but she doesn't' say that last one out loud.

Kaitlyn hugs her. 'Come on we've got a plane to catch. Let's go finish packing. I stole some muffins from the press conference refreshments table.'


	11. Talk to Me - (Anita Baker)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'WHY ON EARTH DID YOU HAVE TO KISS ME THE OTHER DAY?'  
> 'I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF THAT'S WHY!'  
> 'WELL YOU SHOULD LEARN TO CONTROL YOURSELF! I'M NOT SATINE AND YOU'RE NOT CHRISTIAN AND THIS IS REAL LIFE!'

Pyeongchang - on way to the airport

Finally his phone beeps and it is a message from Tessa.

'Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. Don't worry. See you on the bus. xx'

At least she put the xx. Scott tries to take that as a good sign. He is not quite sure what he has done to deserve the cold shoulder. Maybe it is to do with what he said to the press. He sure as hell prays she is not still fretting over last night. But if he knows her at all, that is probably it. That is where they are different the two of them. She over thinks everything. In any case there is NO excuse to stop talking to him, he concludes resentfully.

Everyone is at the reception of the accreditation centre, crowded around a huge mountain of luggage,  waiting for the coach to come pick them up to take them to the airport. It is going to be a night flight and there are more than a few hung over looking athletes lounging around.   
He has been fidgeting with the latch of his backpack, an old habit when he is nervous. His previous calm has been overtaken by concern as the day went on and he can't help himself right now, the tether looks as if it is about to snap at any minute and he eventually gives the tweaking a break, not fancying the prospect of having to travel with a wrecked bag.

Finally Tessa and Kaitlyn roll in dragging their bags behind them. He gets up and heads over to lend a hand helping the girls to stack them in the right area. Still no eye contact from Tessa, but he is so relieved to see her, he boldly takes both her hands in his and gives them  a gentle squeeze.  
'Well hello there, remember me, it's Scott? Scott Moir? We skate together? And by the way we've just won the Olympics? '  
He doesn't add 'and we've also just had the most mind blowing sex ever’ although he is tempted. He really is.

It makes her relax enough to smile. It's so hard for her to stay indifferent to him. She plays along.  
'Oh yes Mr. Moir, I do remember you. Nice to see you again.' She seems a little sheepish, but he'll take whatever he can get at this point.  
They get on the bus. She's still less loquacious than he'd like but at least they're talking. Sort of.

She heads down to the end of the coach and he can see Kaitlyn is heading to go sit with her, but he gently puts his hand on her arm and holds her back. 'Do you mind Kait?'  
'No of course not, go right ahead!' as she slides into the seat next to Meghan letting Scott pass in front of her. He sits down next to Tessa, cornering her in the window seat. She can't avoid him now. He also knows he isn't going to get anything out of her if he starts talking too loud in the confined space where everyone can hear. Once they've all settled down and the bus takes off, he whispers as quiet as he can:

'T why aren't you talking me, you' re not being fair!'

The coolness sweeps in again. She glares at him pressing her lips together and making a 'Shh' sign and then points at her phone.  
So even if they're so close their thighs are rubbing against each other, they start texting in a bid to keep this argument private.  
'Ok so if this is going to happen like this fine' he thinks to himself and starts tapping into his phone. He starts easy.

'I wanted to hang out with you T but you blew me off today.'

He puts his hand on her knee and kneads gently. She doesn't tense up, another good sign.

She taps back: 'Sorry, I needed to be by myself to think.'

'And...how did that go?'

'Good.'

'He looks at her in frustration, 'Really? That's all you've got?' He says it out loud.

Now he can see dark clouds forming in the green eyes and then snap. She glares and types furiously into her phone.

'WHY ON EARTH DID YOU HAVE TO KISS ME THE OTHER DAY?'

'I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF THAT'S WHY!'

'WELL YOU SHOULD LEARN TO CONTROL YOURSELF AND YOUR HORMONES. I'M NOT SATINE AND YOU'RE NOT CHRISTIAN AND THIS IS REAL LIFE!'

'YOU KISSED ME BACK!!!!!!' pause, thinking, then he keeps on tapping:

'AND LET ME REMIND YOU, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TOYED WITH ME LIKE I WAS YOUR PLAY THING LAST NIGHT! AND THEN IGNORED ME ALL DAY! HOW'S THAT FOR ROLE PLAYING?' he is on a roll now.

The tapping is getting ridiculous and Javier who is seated two rows down turns round to see what the hell is going on, he guesses they must be playing some stupid cell phone game and turns back to his book.

Tessa knows she hasn't got a good comeback for that last one. They are now right on glaring at each other. She throws her phone down on her lap and stares straight ahead. One second and he follows suit. They don't talk for a few minutes and now they are facing away, each staring out of opposite windows. Scott picks up the phone again typing:

'Is that what you really think of me Tess, that I am so basic that I would just let myself get carried away by a character and compromise the most important things in my life?'

She stares at that text for a long time and the reality of what he is saying hits her with a pang. For once in their long partnership she realizes that she is being the unreasonable one and that maybe she has in fact been more than a little unfair to him today.  
It takes her a while to formulate a reply. She just turns to him and says quietly. 'No of course not, I think you're best man I know...’

He exhales in relief. 'Thank you!' he whispers breathlessly, and it is not just thank you for the compliment, it is thank you for having let her guard finally down and admitted she was being an ass. It is a rare occurrence with Tessa.  
They don't speak for the rest of the journey but he rests his arm across her thigh, and although she doesn't take his hand she leans in a little closer.  
They don't sit together on the airplane. Tessa says she prefers to sit with Kaitlyn, the distance between them clearly has not yet been fully bridged, so he sits with Chiddy and mercifully it is a quiet flight and they all fall deeply asleep. 

Except Tessa who is restless.


	12. Love Revelation - (Daryl Hall)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Scott the conflict between wanting to fast forward their relationship and the sizable amount of time Tessa will undoubtedly need to process it, is going to be a hard battle to fight.

London Ontario –Ilderton Ontario – Back home

A sea of people is waiting to cheer them in the arrivals area of Toronto airport.

As soon as they appear they are submerged by a joyful roar erupting from family, friends and supporters, shaking banners and chanting slogans. They get split up almost immediately as they submit to the many autograph and selfie requests and do the rounds with the local press who are scrambling all over each other in a bid to get a few words out of them.  
Eventually a red and black Alma, courtesy of her baggy Team Canada jersey, briskly takes over operations in that no-nonsense kind of way Tessa recognizes so well from their days as kids at the local rink when she had been their first coach.

'Thank you sooo much but enough now everybody, sorry but these two deserve  some rest, what? Oh yes we are terribly proud of them! Thank you, thank you again but we've really got to go now!'

She rounds them up paving the way towards the car where Scott's dad, in an equally celebratory crimson t-shirt and dark Raybans is waiting for them engine running, and grinning smugly as if he is the getaway driver from Ocean's Eleven. Scott's parents are driving them both back home as Kate hadn't been able to come. Tessa's sister has just had a wisdom tooth out and needed driving of her own.

'Dad! What's with the getup?' Scott rasps trying to choke his laughter.

'Well I figured now you two are world famous we might have the paparazzi on our tail!'

'Oh yes I'm sure they'll be following us all the way to the Ilderton Community Centre, in fact if they are lucky they may even get a picture of Aunt Carol shoveling snow in the driveway, a real scoop!' he chuckles

'Scott what happened to your voice? Oh dear, I can hear a cold brewing.' Alma exclaims, then turning to Tessa: 'You don't sound much better pumpkin. Come on let 's get you home!'

They pile gratefully into the back of the car sitting quietly together for the rest of the journey, making small talk with Alma and Joe, and updating on the latest news they had missed.  
Scott feels wooly headed and more than a little groggy. He has been wanting to find an opportunity to be alone with Tessa, but for one reason or other it has not been possible since the other night in the dorm and it looks like once she gets dropped off at her house it is not going to happen anytime soon. The frustration makes him squirm. He wants to hold her hand but he also doesn't want to be too obvious in front of his parents, so he compromises by resting his arm on the back of the car seats.

Tessa seems unresponsive and he soon realizes she is dozing in and out of a light twitchy sleep, her head lolling on the back rest till finally she slumps onto his shoulder. He lets his arm sneak down to encircle her at the same time trying very hard not to sneeze in order not to wake her. What he doesn't realize is that Alma can see him perfectly from her side view mirror.

Eventually they pull up into Kate's pebbled driveway and she comes running out to greet them followed by a dazed looking Jordan eager to hug her sister despite her slightly swollen cheek.

'Welcome home, welcome home to the champions! Thank you so much Alma, thank you Joe, would you like to come in for tea or coffee?'  
A merry exchange of pleasantries ensues but the Moirs really need to get back home. They all agree they will shortly be in touch to arrange a dinner with both families to celebrate.

The cheery commotion rouses Tessa from her slumber. A streak of panic hits her in the stomach as she realizes she is about to be separated from Scott for the first time in months. She had been sure some distance was what she needed, but now that it is really about to happen and that they are about to say goodbye she is not so convinced anymore. She buries her head in his shoulder hugging him tight as if she doesn't want to let him go.

Scott is caught off guard. He wasn't expecting it at all. Especially following yesterday's argument on the bus and how aloof she had been towards him in the last twenty four hours. He thinks he might be just about to melt into a puddle right then and there in front of both their families but manages to hold it together whispering in her ear,

'Hey it's ok T, were not going to the trenches, I'll see you in a few days ok?'

'Ok, right, bye.' Tessa breaks off abruptly, jumps out of the car as quickly as she can, only stopping to kiss Alma and Joe farewell and heads hurriedly towards the house, her mother and sister on either side. They all turn briefly on the rose covered porch to wave them a last goodbye.  
Alma looks back at her son with pursed lips and raised eyebrows.  


'A few days wont' kill you, son you know.'

'Yeah I know.' he sighs looking at Tessa's white house disappear into the distance.

In the end the break is a blessing. They each collapse at their parents' homes with light colds, and do nothing more than rest, watch TV and lounge around in their Pjs. Phones get turned off, their manager Michelle is  given strict instructions to deflect any requests for the time being, as are their parents not to take any calls or callers. 

After all the excitement of the Olympics and the ensuing turmoil, it is a welcome and much needed rest, made up of family hugs, hot chocolates, wooly blankets and at least a couple of good books, although in Tessa's case it does not help her get any further perspective on how she feels about their new circumstances. She has always been pretty good at compartmentalizing things which bother her, but this, she feels, is out of her control.  
So she tries very, very, hard not to think about Scott Moir.   
Well the new version of Scott that has recently been unveiled to her.  
'Unveiled being the key word...' she thinks to herself ironically.

When eventually she gets better and returns to her own home, she busies herself as much as possible with travel preparations and finalizing their business commitments, in a bid to push all else to the back of her mind.  
She is trying not to fret about seeing him for the first time since their return as she really has no idea how to behave around him and most certainly is not ready to talk about what happened and especially not about her feelings thank you very much.  
Knowing Scott, who can't hold anything back for his life, she is certain he wants to lay the cards on the table. Also she doesn't trust him (or herself for that matter) to be completely by themselves, considering what happened the last time.   
She decides that the best course of action will be to keep contact to the bare minimum. Once her resolution is made she feels a bit better, at least this puts her back in control of things a little.

Scott hasn't been too bothered with packing, he knows he will wing it at the last minute and it will be fine. Since he has recovered from the flu he has spread himself a little thin paying visits to his hometown school, going round the neighborhood to thank the local community for their unwavering support and helping his brother Danny run errands to set up their new family owned Skate Shop.  
Scott has also been thinking about Tessa ALL the time since they got back.

So keeping busy is a blessing for him before he ends up doing something stupid like running to her mum's house to throw stones at her window to get her to come and talk to him. Especially since she hasn't taken his calls for over a week. Her phone has been off and when he tried the house number Kate has always been the one to answer.  
'Scott sweetheart she s got the flu and is lying low for a couple days, yes, I know you have practice next week. I'll tell her. She'll probably be back in her own home by then. Text her, I'm sure she'll get back to you. You take care too, thank God at least you sound much better. See you soon dear.'

Not that he didn't think about her before. Being half of a team of two she had inevitably always been on his mind. But the Tessa in his thoughts now is the new Tessa which has only recently been revealed to him.  
'Revelation' being the key word he thinks to himself nostalgically.

This Tessa he finds hard to pair up with the cute little girl who used to smuggle sweets for them into the rink, or the lanky teenager who would dunk him in the Ilderton pool in the Summer, or the young lady who would force him to sit with her, binge watching the sappiest romantic movies in their twenties when neither of them had a date.  
He wonders how on earth did he miss her turning into the incredibly attractive, self-assured woman enchanting absolutely everyone she comes into contact with. This woman stirs up the blood in his veins making him unable to think straight and his chest burst with gratitude that destiny has somehow chosen to intertwine her life with his own.

He actually had a dream about it, that moment of revelation in Pyeongchang. He couldn't remember it exactly but all he knows is that when he woke up everything had become very obvious to him.  
It was as if he had spent the last few years with blinkers on, staring only straight ahead.  
Final destination: Olympic podium.  
The very moment that gold medal had finally been in his hands and the pressure of competition had been lifted, so had those blinders.  
The realization had not come that night in the dim light of her bedroom, although that had undoubtedly been a journey of discovery onto itself. It had come that very instant when they had completed their winning performance. He had looked into Tessa's eyes on the ice and for the first time was able to see very clearly that the real reward of years of labor was standing in front of him, beaming right back as if he was the light of her life.  
So he doesn't worry over it nearly so much as her but he knows she is brooding and also knows perfectly well the flu is just an excuse to procrastinate their meeting.

For Scott Moir the conflict between wanting to fast forward their relationship and the sizable amount of time Tessa will undoubtedly need to process it, is going to be a hard battle to fight.  
All he knows is that he followed his heart and can only hope she feels the same way.

A bunch of texts and several days later Scott does succeed in making it through her barricade, getting in touch to set up practice and with a couple questions regarding their upcoming schedule. Tessa has made most arrangements, being the better organizer of the two.  

To Tessa's relief he doesn't  probe her about anything else, but does finish the conversation with 'I miss you T'.  
The best she manages is: 'Well you'll see me tomorrow!' and kicks herself afterwards for not having come up with anything more fitting.


	13. Should I Stay or Should I Go - (The Clash)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Tessa is unlacing her skates in the girls dressing room she realizes that avoiding the elephant in the room is not going to solve anything. She is going to have to face Scott and probably better sooner than later.
> 
> What Scott has on his hands right now is a very awkward situation between the two of them and a terrible skate to own up to. If their iron trust were to be broken, now that was something he really would never forgive himself. He is determined to have it out and the sooner the better.

London - Ontario - Skating Rink

Tessa is seated in her car, parked in the shade of a leafy green tree just outside the red brick rink. She is rummaging through her ample sports bag to make sure she has everything. For the third time. She is also trying to appease the butterflies in her stomach and to summon up enough nerve to head into the gymnasium looking as easy breezy as possible. So far it's not working. 'Right, ok, breathe, this can't be so hard, hmm, maybe it's time to call in the big shots.'

So she gives in and face-times Kaitlyn praying she won't be cursed for calling at seven thirty in the morning. She knows Andrew and Kaitlyn are also on break and are probably sleeping in a little more than they would normally do, but this is sort of an emergency so she puts her reserves aside. Kaitlyn's pretty face appears on her phone enveloped in crumpled rose colored sheets. Even with no makeup and a bedhead she still manages to look like a Disney princess. 'God knows how she does it!' Tessa thinks affectionately before being greeted:

'Hi sister, whatever it is, it had better be good, I was in the middle of dreaming I was cavorting on a jet ski with David Beckham, and I was the one driving!'  
There is a small ruckus in the duvet behind her and half a mop of dark hair and one hazelnut eye appears over the back of her head. 'You were doing what with who? Oh hi Tess!' Andrew raises his hand for a small wave peering sheepishly into the screen.

'Err...hi Andrew, sorry I woke you guys up! I just need to talk to Kait for a minute if that's ok!'

'No worries, go right ahead, I'm going to go try out my new blackberry and vanilla pancake recipe for the lady here and make at least a four egg pepperoni and zucchini omelette for me!' There is a fleeting glimpse of a very well formed butt cheek flashing across the screen as Andrew unashamedly gets out of bed and shifts out of shot. Tessa tries to avert her eyes as Kaitlyn shouts after him as he exits:

'and also a one egg omelette for me too pleeease?' She turns back to Tessa with a satisfied smirk.

'Before you ask yes, I guess this makes it the fourth hook up. Did I tell you he is also a very good cook?' she winks.

'Evidently!' Tessa chuckles.

'All right what's up girl, let me guess, is it about a recent romantic tryst with someone's co-worker?'

'Let's say I was hoping your skating partners relationship hotline would be open...'

'Yes indeed, we are open for business, go ahead shoot!'

'I'm meeting Scott in ten minutes for the first time since we've been back and I'm a nervous wreck! I know it's ridiculous, I have seen him practically every day for the last twenty years!'

'No sweetie, it's not ridiculous, I guess it's because you don't know where you stand with each other yet after you did the deed!' she says it exaggerating the last word comically. 'Have you figured it out?'

It makes Tessa smile and she eases up a tiny bit. She sighs,

'Not at all, all I know is I was fine with how things were and this thing has thrown me completely off keel! I can't think of him in the same way as before anymore!'

'Would you like chocolate chips in your pancakes?' comes a yell from some other room in the background.

Kaitlyn turns round, 'Yes please!' then turning back to Tessa, 'Yep, I know exactly what you mean!'

'You are a smooth operator,' Tessa laughs, 'I wish I could be as chill as you!'

She continues: 'I guess it's partly because we grew up together since we were so small, I can't even remember him not being around at any point!'

Kaitlyn straightens up to deliver her take, all seriousness now.

'Ok Tess, this is how I see it. I think relationships are not the easiest areas to navigate for you, especially after your parents divorced and then you got duped by the one who shall not be named,' they both roll their eyes at the mention,  
'Yep the married one who conveniently omitted to wear his wedding ring, then you got yourself entangled with a couple of the most airheaded athletes we have in the country, sorry sweetie but it's true, very sexy I'll admit it, but nevertheless you could have wrapped anyone of them around your little finger twice so no wonder you got bored. See a pattern here? You intentionally choose people you won't let yourself get involved with and now that Scott has turned into a potential candidate, God forbid that the one man who's stood by you like a rock since forever, good and bad times let me remind you, may actually turn out to be another disappointment! But you know what? It may actually turn out to be more than pretty  wonderful instead.'

'Oh!' Tessa is speechless. The truth in her friends words are hitting her like an electric storm.

'You just can't know, nobody knows, if it will or will not work out, not unless you try!' Kaitlyn concludes.

'But what if it was just a one night stand, a spur of the moment thing...say it doesn't work out and we end up not talking to each other anymore...'

Kaitlyn does not let her finish,

'Tess, not again! I'm not even going to answer that! You'll be fine girl, now just get in there and go kick that sweet little booty of his on the ice.'

An inquiring looking Andrew appears in the doorway holding a palette and wearing nothing but an apron which reads 'The Kitchen Bitch'.  
'Breakfast is ready' he declares all too seriously.

'Really?' Tessa can't help laughing out loud as Kaitlyn gives her the widest grin.

Her friend always makes her feel better.

 

Scott is warming up on the ice possibly more energetically than necessary in a bid to distract himself from the jitters he has had since he woke up. Finally the moment he was waiting for arrives when Tessa walks in, work leggings, pink wrap around top, messy bun, the battered skates she is so attached to in one hand, a coffee cup in the other, just being all that is inherently her. His heart tightens in his chest at the familiar sight.  
'Ridiculous' he thinks to himself 'It's not like I haven't ever seen her a million times before!'

On any other day he would have greeted her with a big friendly bear hug, but he feels that gesture now might not be appropriate. Really he just wants to kiss her right on the mouth in front of everybody but he also knows how uncomfortable that would make her, or would it? Whilst he is thinking it over, Tessa appears by his side on the rink, gives him a quick peck on the cheek and glides off intent on her own warm up.  
'Oh ok then,' he is startled but also a little relieved the dilemma has been taken out of his hands and speeds up his pace to catch up with her. They keep skating round the rink side by side.

'Well hello stranger, feeling better? You look better, I mean you always look great...' he falters.

'Yes thank you, I was feeling like death warmed up when we got back but the break really did me good, and you? You look better too.'

'I'm as strong as a horse and ready to go again!' As soon as he says it he realizes it sounds wrong. Oh God is this his dirty mind playing tricks on him? Considering he has thought about her naked about every single night since that first time, well yes, it probably is.

'I mean, err I didn't mean to suggest anything,' he is making it worse.

'Scott, it's fine, honestly I know what you mean, I'm glad you are better, let's just concentrate on practice k?'

Tessa is feeling surprisingly cool now, boosted by Kaitlyn's pep talk and  more than a little comforted to see that Scott ultimately appears to be the more nervous of the two of them. She was expecting to have to confront his usual cocky self but this is goofy Scott, a lot more manageable and quite frankly rather adorable.

Romain has come down from Montreal to London to oversee their first practice post games, check on their condition and to give them a few pointers for the new training sessions which from now on will be solely geared towards show skating. They are so excited to see him that they end up spending more time than they should at the boards catching up on all the latest news from Gadbois and sneaking in a face time call with Marie France and Patrice which entails a lot of 'woohoos', 'we did it', and 'we love you'.  
Eventually Romain succeeds in shooing them back onto the rink demanding they show him at what stage they are with the new program. They had started preparing it the previous Summer with their new hip hop choreographer Samuel, specially for the upcoming shows, it's pretty much complete, but it has been a while since they got a chance to rehearse it, since they had been so focused on their other dances for Pyeongchang.  
They finish the warm up, skating round the rink together with Scott eventually taking her hand, as usual. That seems to go ok. Years of habit kick in and he soon has his arm around her waist as they go through the familiar motions of their work out.   
So far so good.

Things only start to get hairy once the program starts and Michael Jackson's 'You Rock my World' blasts through the loudspeakers. As they get into the sequences it becomes apparent to both of them that something between them has shifted.  
The comfortable familiarity of the past has morphed into a new palpable and tingling energy loaded with unspoken possibilities of the future. Their touch speaks a different language, their eyes register different sights, their cues take on different meanings, it's just not the same register anymore.  
The lifts are where it becomes all too obvious. As Tessa slides down from Scott's shoulders and across his torso, her legs wrapped around his waist as he spins her around, both know exactly what the other is thinking, flashes of exactly that same position a few days earlier.  
Only they had been naked and he had been inside her, she had been sighing his name in his ear whilst he nuzzled her neck, his thundering heart pressed hard against her breast.

He gazes at her very intently.

'Scott you've got to stop it!'

'Stop what?'

'Looking at me like that,'

'Like how?'

'Like I'm some kind of a cake.'

'Sorry I can't, you look delicious.'

'Well thank you, but I'm not edible.'

He doesn't reply but raises an eyebrow continuing to look at her straight in the eye, wordlessly begging to differ.

'You are distracting me!' Tessa protests.

'Oh believe me, you are very VERY distracting me!' Oh no, cocky Scott is back.

It makes her weak at the knees, and all her self-composure drains right out of the bottom of her skates. Scott on the other hand is exhilarated by this routine, he is sure it is going to become one of his favorites, so innovative compared to the confines they were obliged to work in while competing. Besides the words couldn't be more appropriate now and he is delighted to have a legitimate opportunity to vent his emotions so he belts them out to her as they dance around the rink.

_'My life will never be the same_

_'Cause girl, you came and changed_

_The way I walk_

_The way I talk_

_I cannot explain the things I feel for you_

_But girl, you know it's true_

_Stay with me, fulfill my dreams_

_And I'll be all you'll need'_

He gives it his all, maybe getting too carried away at the detriment of precision and the end result is that they both get more than a little unfocused and the skate is a bit of a mess.

Scott trips over his toe picks, something which HE never does, and Tessa majorly loses her positioning, something which SHE never does, ending up all the way near the boards. They laugh it off nervously to Romain, professing more vigorously than necessary that Olympic performances are demanding and must have sucked all their knowledge out of them and that clearly the Ice Gods are trying to humble them, that just when you thought you had it made, it is time to start buckling down and restart from the basics.

'Ok, ok, I know you've been under a lot of strain in the last couple of months and I guess you haven't practiced this routine for quite a while considering how much we worked on the Tango.' Romain chides them.

'Homework will be to repeat this incessantly till you leave, and yes, Samuel and Jeff will be each popping in to supervise you and will be face-timing me so I can see how you are progressing. Just because you have become the most decorated figure skaters of all time is no excuse to be resting on your laurels got it? No slacking off. In fact now that you have set the bar so high for everybody else, you are under an obligation to work even harder to maintain that standard, do you hear me?'

'Yep coach, loud and clear!' they both burble rather embarrassed at their below par performance.

 

When finally the session is over, Tessa is relieved, she feels she has had to work double time. Once to remember the routine and second to stay concentrated. It was exhausting. As she is unlacing her skates in the girls dressing room she realizes that avoiding the elephant in the room is not going to solve anything. She is going to have to face Scott and probably better sooner than later.

Scott desperately needs a quick shower, partly because he is covered in sweat since the session has turned out to be more demanding than usual, and partly because he needs to curb his excitement apparent in the form of the semi hard-on he has been trying to suppress for the last half hour.  
As he towels himself dry mulling things over he suddenly realizes he has absolutely no strategy whatsoever to navigate this new state of affairs and that this transition is not going to be as seamless as he had optimistically imagined.  
He can't really ask to date her, that would be weird. It's not like they need to get to know each other. They probably have already done everything people do on first dates anyway and they also share a bunch of pretty incredible experiences that most couples could only aspire to. They had been to the top of the Eiffel tower, they had walked the Great Wall of China, they had travelled round most of the world and back, they had even had dinner with the Queen of England for Chrissakes!  
So what was he hoping? That she was suddenly going to let him into her bed every night as if it was the most natural thing in the world? Well actually yes, skating and shagging and possibly procreating and...he stops himself before he gets too carried away daydreaming about a potential imaginary future.

What he has on his hands right now is a very awkward situation between the two of them and a terrible skate to own up to and he is quite concerned at how amateurish they had been in front of their coach who had purposely made a long trip to see them. That was unforgivable. More alarmingly he almost lost his grip on Tessa on the third lift, that really bothered him, if something had happened and their iron trust were to be broken, now that was something he really would never forgive himself. He is determined to have it out and the sooner the better.

They walk out of the dressing rooms nearly at the same time, Tessa just a few moment before, dropping her large bag on the benches in the corridor, going through it like she has forgotten something. She re-enters the dressing room quickly and reemerges holding her pink top at the same time as Scott surfaces from the men's locker room hair still damp from the shower. She packs her things and makes her way down the hallway stopping abruptly as soon as she sees him.  
They hurriedly blurt out in unison:

'Scott I think we have to talk',

'Tess can we speak for a minute?'

'Uh yes sure.'

'Yes of course!' still overlapping each other.  
There is no one around so this seems a good a place as any.

'Ok, you first.' Tessa encourages him since she hasn't quite formulated how she is going to tactfully put it to him, that they should really take a step back and just concentrate on their work.

'Do you want to sit down?' Scott inquires brow slightly furrowed.

'No, it's fine, go ahead.'

So they stand facing each other in the passageway their bags slung over their shoulders.

'That was not one of our best session huh?' he starts.

Tessa nods silently in agreement.

'Tess, I think we might have jumped ahead of ourselves a bit,' he gazes enquiringly at her.

'if you know what I mean,'

Tess is a little startled, she is not sure where he is going with this but it was not what she was expecting.

'I'm sorry if I came onto you too strongly, I would never want to make you uncomfortable or pressure you into anything you don't feel ready for...' Tessa's eyes are getting rounder as she is grasping the full significance of his words.

'I think it's probably for the best if we take a step back in our personal relationship that is, and just concentrate fully on our skating, I mean Romain is so right, I was mortified at that mess and I know you were too. We can't let that happen again. Like he said, I really feel it is our duty to do our reputation justice and I hope you do to...'

Tessa had been poised to combat what she thought were going to be Scott's advances. She never thought he would be the one backing off first and it completely flummoxes her. This man is going to give her grey hairs, why is it always the unexpected with him?

'Uh yes, I was going to tell you the same thing actually, we most definitely cannot let anything personal affect our work, so thank you for saying that, I agree.' she replies coolly.

Scott searches her face to see if he can catch a glimpse of her emotions, he was secretly hoping she might be a little disappointed but ice queen Tessa is unfathomable right now.

'Ok then.'

'Ok.'

They remain standing there neither wanting to leave first.  
'Oh fuck it!' Scott drops his bag at the same as she does and in a second they are in each other's arms kissing passionately like that first time in the arena. Finally their lips break apart but their arms remain still firmly wrapped round each other neither letting go.

'Thank you!' Scott exhales 'that makes me feel a lot better.' He brushes a lock of hair behind her ear, lightly caressing her cheek. ' I suppose I should say I'm sorry again but really I'm not.'

Tessa buries her face in his chest. It takes her breath away, how familiar and solid and reassuring the shape of him is to her and she has to summon all her resolve to break out of his embrace. She can hardly look at him in the eye and can feel the short breaths of an anxiety attack creeping up on her.  
She gulps in some air 'I'm not ready..yet' she is able to muster in a whisper.  
She knows that if she let's herself go now she is going to be like a ship without a sail adrift a choppy sea and before either says another word she runs out. Literally runs. Out.

Scott is left empty handed and empty hearted staring at her back running down the hall.

 

As Tessa sits in her car recomposing herself for the second time in the same day, a text appears on her phone:  
'Tess it's ok, we won't let it happen again k? Please write back?'  
She knows she worried him and it makes her ache inside so she writes back immediately wanting to put him out of his misery as soon as possible.  
A couple seconds after Scott has pressed 'send', Tessa replies with her signature 'XX'.  
He knows it's her sign that things are ok and he feels a little comforted although not in the least bit appeased.  
His phone beeps again.  
She just sent him a heart.

 

In Vancouver Patrick Chan and his girlfriend Liz are just about to sit down on the floor and consume their lunch on the makeshift table they have made out of two u-haul boxes which had contained their kitchenware, when a familiar face lights up his phone.

It's Scott, face-timing him from London. Looks like he is sitting by himself on the stands at the rink.

'Hmm, something is up!' Patrick thinks to himself by the looks of his pal's expression.

'Heeey Bud, what's up? How are you?'

'Hey, how's the moving going? Uh sorry are you eating? I'll call later, oh hi Liz, nice furniture by the way, I hear cardboard is the new trend!'

Liz has appeared across the screen carrying a salad bowl,  
'Hi Scott! Yep we spared no expense!' she chirps cheerfully and disappears out of shot presumably going round the other side to sit in front of Chiddy, since the handles of the spoons from the bowl suddenly appear in front of Patrick's face.

'Liz do you mind?' Patrick looks over the top of the phone and comes back with an affirmative.

'Looks like we can spare a few minutes, besides it's just cold pasta salad, but you my friend, seem anything but cool, what's bothering you? Uh, err is it private? Shall I move...' a penne flies over his head presumably launched from Liz's side.

'Nah, it's alright,' Scott shakes his head, 'In fact I think I need as much back up as I can get, Liz can hear me out too if she can bear it.'

In a flash Liz's face appears alongside Chiddy's and they both peer earnestly into the screen.

'How can we help you sir?'

'Scott sighs 'It's about Tess..again!'

'Aha, ok,' Patrick nods knowingly, he was sure it was about Tess the moment Scott had said 'hey'.

'Oh!' Liz exclaims surprised, shooting a quick look at her fiancé which silently says: 'I can't believe you didn't tell me anything about this!'

Scott continues, 'Well you know in Pyeongchang?...Let's just say we took it to the next level.'

Patrick joins his hands together and bows his head in salute. 'Good work my friends. I'm proud of you.'

'Ha!' Scott exclaims, 'I don't know about that, remember how I told you I didn't want to put my foot in it and ruin our partnership? Well, mission accomplished.'

'Why, what's going on?' Liz chips in wanting to know more.

'Well first in Pyeongchang the next day she practically ignored me and we ended up having an argument...'

'Oh that's why you didn't sit together on the plane.' Patrick sees it now.

'Then since we got back she wouldn't take my calls,' Scott continues running his hand through his hair nervously, 'although truth be told we were both sick for a few days.'

'So was I!' Patrick chimes in, 'I think it was something in the food at the closing party!'  
Liz intervenes, brushing off the last comments as irrelevant information. She needs concrete facts if she is going to be able to offer any help.  
'Ok well so what is the state of things right now?'

 'We just had THE most terrible practice of our lives! We were all over the place! We wouldn't listen to each other's cues, nearly missed a hold, tripped, lost our marks, every amateur mistake in the books, you name it, we did it. We were totally unfocused! Oh the look on Romain's face, I'll never live it down.' he sighs.

'Uh not good!' Patrick shakes his head in sympathy.

'After practice I told her we had let ourselves down and we couldn't let it happen again, and if that anything personal was going to affect our work then we should take a step back.'

'And..?' Two faces peer at him with held breaths.

'She totally agreed...aaaand then we sent that whole conversation down the drain by kissing each other!'

'Oooh,' the duo exhales a long whoosh of air.

'So you're cool again?' Patrick asks.

'HA! She mumbled something about not being ready yet,' Scott throws his hands in the air, 'ran out on me and THEN sent me a heart!'

'The red one?' Liz pipes in earnestly.

'Yes the red one.'

'That's good! Very good sign!' Liz is so adamant that Scott's confidence is a little restored.

'I just keep getting these very mixed messages from her and I'm not quite sure what to do!' Scott exclaims exasperated.

Liz pushes Patrick out of the display, to get more leverage, but he bounces back, his head only half visible now as Liz is taking up most of the screen space.

'Ok Scott I think you need to hear this from a girl, reverse perspective, sorry babe,' she turns to Chiddy quickly and pecks him on the cheek apologetically. 'I don't know Tessa as well as you guys but I have hung out with her a bit and I do know for a fact that as personable as she may appear on the outside, she is totally an introvert at heart. So that's your first clue that you need to take this slowly. She won't be running to the top of the hills anytime soon screaming to the world her undying devotion to you as much as you might want her to now. Besides she told you right? She's not ready...yet, 'yet' being the key word here!'

'But she seemed pretty into me when we...' Scott protests,

'OF COURSE she is!' Liz rolls her eyes, 'That's not even in discussion, besides the red heart...' Liz raises her eyebrow knowingly.  
'But people sometimes just have different speeds, you have to give her space, let her come to you.

Sometimes too much too soon can be scary and besides I wouldn't be surprised she may need proof that you're not going to flake on her!'

'What's that meant to mean?'

'Yeah what does that mean?'

Both Scott and Patrick defensively at the same time.

'Well,' Liz treads carefully now, knowing she is on a minefield.  
'In my experience often guys, well some guys, act hastily when they are enamored and act as if everything is a done deal before it is for the other person, and then when the other person comes round and accepts it, then they get cold feet and leave the object of their attention suddenly in the lurch!'

'Heeey! Come on not everyone is like that!' the boys protest.

'Of course not! I'm marrying this one here and I'm not saying YOU are, but I know it's happened to Tessa!'

'Oh!' Scott is dumbfounded, 'I guess it was the older guy, right, how do you know?'

'Because we talked about it! Remember in Toronto that time you guys went bowling? She and Kaitlyn and I had a girl's night to ourselves and let's say we shared a few private stories, which private will remain by the way so please both stop looking at me like that!'

She resumes, 'Anyway what I'm saying is she could be more cautious because of past experience and besides you two are so entangled she may need a bit more time to accept being in a different type of relationship with you, and confirmation that you really mean it. Why should she risk all the miles you have under your belt together?'

'How much more proof can she need! I wouldn't risk it either if I wasn't sure that I wanted it!' Scott is getting animated now, 'We've been hanging out for twenty years! If this relationship actually does take off I think you can safely say we will have had the longest courtship in the history of mankind. There won't be the saying 'Patient as Job' anymore, it will become 'Patient as Scott'!

'Well maybe that is part of your journey of self-discovery. Learning to pace yourself my friend.' Patrick can't resist taking a little dig at his pal.

'I know, I know I'm too temperamental. You're right, AND now I see where you get the Force from.' He smiles at Liz and she grins back smugly. Patrick kisses her cheek, a very self satisfied look on his face.

'Well I guess I'll see you in Japan bud, for the shows, will you be coming out Liz?' Scott asks as the call is drawing to a close.

'Yes I'll join Patrick for a few days, we haven't decided where yet but I'll be seeing you soon Tiger, so don't stray from the light!'

'Thanks guys for your good words, sorry for interrupting your lunch!'

'Anytime,' they all give each other the Imperial salute before switching off.


	14. Gravity - (John Mayer)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'To Tessa and Scott  
> Dance like nobody’s watching,  
> Love like you’ve never been hurt  
> Sing like no one is listening  
> and live like it’s heaven on earth.'
> 
> A sea of unspoken words travels between them. It may be the drink, it may be what Alma just said, but Tessa is getting that floaty feeling again. Everything is getting a little blurry except the shape of him which is the most solid thing she can see. The only figure in focus, like her only centre of Gravity, is Scott.

Ilderton - Ontario - Moir Family Home

The call manages to give Scott some perspective, so he pulls himself together, summons his innermost Zen self and taking his friends' advice, resolves to act as nonchalantly as possible around Tessa in a bid to let things simmer down. Practice continues the next morning and neither mentions the events of the previous day. Both seem determined to recuperate the poor show of the last time and they knuckle down working harder than ever.

The new approach seems to work, because over the next few days they gradually resume everyday training in view of the upcoming shows, on ice practice, gym workouts, recovery, without either pressing any of each other's buttons. If it still feels different when their bodies come into contact during their sessions, neither gives it away. Especially on the rink, where they are closely monitored by alternatively Jeff or Samuel, they are extra attentive, as nothing would be more horrific than embarrassing themselves again in front of the professionals they deeply respect. Off the ice they are hardly ever alone, purposely avoiding the prospect of another awkward episode, and talk gets mostly restricted to their short term future plans. All references to sensitive subjects deliberately avoided. So polite with each other again. 

This is how most of their conversations go:

'Did you book the trains from Yokohama? I can do it if you like, I know you are doing so much.' Scott valiantly offering organizational assistance.

'No don't worry it's done but thank you for offering.' Tessa sincerely appreciating but also knowing it would be senseless.

'You're welcome, let me know if there's anything I can do to help.' Helpful Scott not giving up.

'Maybe you could go through the check list of our tech bags, I think I put everything but you're better at that' Tessa realizing she can't do everything by herself and really Scott is more clued in than her on this one.

'Of course no problem, I'll get right on it.' Scott glad to be of help and knowing that really he is more clued in than her on this one.

'Perfect see you tomorrow.' Tessa grateful she can leave, kissing incidents free.

'See you tomorrow then' Scott thankful they are back on semi normal speaking terms but disheartened at the lack of opportunities for further closeness.

Courteous and quite, quite safely distanced.

And Tessa is relieved, she finds her everyday routine much easier to navigate without having to worry about confronting the ambiguities of their current relationship.  
She is able to sleep much better for a start, which is a huge help in getting her back on track with her training.  
Scott seems to have loosened up, she doesn't feel this explosive beam of energy directed at her anymore and she is able to concentrate on the tasks at hand and the preparations for the upcoming trip.  
It is by no means effortless, she does have to re-centre her thoughts on the daily. There are times, in the most unexpected moments, when she catches herself having flashes. What would it be like, as they walk out to the parking lot, if they were actually going back to the same house instead of their separate ones, or when they are practicing and he has her in a hold, if those arms were to become her resting place every night in bed.  
It is the first time she indulges these types of ideas, but being the rational being that she is, she manages to terminate them pretty quickly, taking back the helm of her emotions and steering them back onto her preferred route: logical thoughts, practical activities and of course very harmless and factual conversations with her skating partner. Yes, skating partner, because that is what he is, she reminds herself, and much better to leave it that way.

 

The Virtue-Moir family dinner to celebrate Tessa and Scott's gold medals ends up being a cheerful, lively affair that could easily outdo the most fancy of country fetes.  
Between family, extended family and close friends, practically the whole village comes and goes from the Moir family home, the designated venue, for the better part of a Sunday late afternoon and evening. The original plan had been to have an intimate dinner with immediate family members but news had leaked to one cousin, then a sibling had asked if they could take their girlfriend who was in town, then Scott's old school teacher had wanted to stop and say hi, and the list went on, creating a ripple effect that enlarged the affair to a sizeable event that required continuous management of the barbecue in the back yard on Joe's part, and a small army of volunteers in the kitchen  for Alma and Kate.

Tessa and Scott spread themselves around as much as possible, talking incessantly to everyone, gladly repeating the same narrative but with slightly different variations to keep things interesting even to those who have already heard the stories from Pyeongchang a million times, but are still keen to partake in any new details.  
They are hardly ever together as they keep getting pulled in different directions.  
Eventually they almost bump into each other as Scott squeezes by, not without some difficulty, through a cluster of overly affectionate relatives, right by Tessa who is perusing drinks from the table where Scott's Uncle is enthusiastically preparing his special Caeser's cocktails.

'Do I still have cheeks? I can't feel my face, I think my aunts and all their friends just consumed them!' he grins happily.

Tessa has been feeling warm and a little buzzed from the excitement of the evening and can't help laughing,  
'Yes still there but under an insane amount of lipstick!'

'What? I knew it! Those women can't control themselves!' Scott grabs a paper napkin and starts dabbing himself but keeps missing all the spots.  
Without thinking about it too much, and out of habit more than anything else, considering the times they have straightened each other out before competitions, Tessa takes over; 

'Here let me do it you are making it worse.'

The marks are not coming off that easily so Tessa licks her finger and tries to rub them off directly on his cheeks. She has to repeat her actions a few times to complete her task and is so intent that she doesn't realize Scott has become stock still and is now downright staring at her. When at last she looks up a hungry gaze is boring right through her and in that instant she knows exactly what he is thinking.  
A thunder bolt of understanding strikes between them, incinerating in one second all that distance they had recently been trying to keep.  
She lets her fingers linger on his face. He covers her hand and holds it there.

'Tessa, Scott where are you?' Joe's booming voice brusquely interrupts their moment emerging from a spot somewhere near the fireplace behind a sea of heads.

'I would like to gather you all now, for a toast to the pride of our families, our town and dare I say our Nation! Please bring your glasses and all come round!'

'Guess we can't get out of this one' Scott smiles apologetically at her,

'Come on and keep your fingers crossed my Dad doesn't go all lyrical on us!'

They each grab a drink as he guides her through the crowded room and Tessa is grateful for his stable grip. The last thirty seconds have left her feeling more than a little shaky.

At the front of the room two chairs have been set up for them to stand on, so everyone can see and Scott helps hoist Tessa up. She totters dangerously as she tries to find her footing and balance her glass at the same time. He instinctively puts his free arm around her to help her keep her balance and then doesn't take it away.  
A sea of loving faces is beaming up at them and as she's enveloped by this wave of affection, looking back at everyone she loves, Scott's tender hand on her shoulder, radiating warmth from every pore, Tessa has another one of those flashes. Although it may feel like it, this is not a dream. It is her here and now. She takes everything in, almost in slow motion wanting to imprint this moment forever in her mind.  
It is fleeting but it does cross her thoughts; maybe everything she has ever wanted and needed, is in this room with her right now.

She has a déja vu of Pyeongchang and the medal ceremony when things had seemed almost unreal and she had felt as if she were about to float away, had it not been for Scott's solid presence anchoring her to the ground. It is making her feel lightheaded again and she puts an arm around his waist holding onto him tightly.  
Scott seems to be oblivious to what is going on in her head, as he is intent in shouting something at someone at the back of the room yet at that very moment she starts feeling overwhelmed his thumb starts to soothingly caresses the back of her neck.  
He knows.

Joe is still wearing his chef's hat and apron from his barbecuing duties but proceeds to shed them in order to deliver his speech more officially. He starts off exuberantly;

'First of all thank you to everyone for coming today to celebrate with us. Slightly larger turn out than we expected,' a ripple of chuckles goes round the room, 'but a very welcome one! Chris seeing you ratted us out to all of Ilderton and the surrounding burrows, just know you and your chums will be here tomorrow helping us clean, don't think you are getting out of this!' he points his fingers in a 'V' at his own eyes and then back to his nephew, 'I'm watching you Chris Moir!'

Chris pretends to hang his head in shame but is grinning widely as he gets high fived by Charlie Moir.

Joe continues his delivery, 'Thanks to Kate and Alma, I think we can safely say no one went hungry and I'm pretty sure that courtesy of Uncle Paul no one has gone thirsty either.' A couple glasses are raised in the general direction of Joe's brother still intent in mixing and delivering tall concoctions of red juice.

'Now has everyone got a drink?' Mumbles of general consensus from everyone.

Joe's tone changes to something more soft and solemn as he turns to Tessa and Scott who are teetering on the chairs both trying very hard not to let their emotions get the better of them.

'Tessa and Scott, you have been in our hearts since the day you came into the world and you danced your way into the hearts of the Nation, you worked tirelessly and gave everything you could to our sport, our community, our Country, we couldn't be more proud of you!

At this point Tessa can feel Scott is the one needing more sustenance by the throbbing of his heart in her side, so she leans into him purposely inhaling and exhaling long breaths until she can feel him matching his own breathing to hers, till he gradually resumes a more reassuring heart rate. Joe is not done yet;

'To Tessa and Scott,

Dance like nobody’s watching,

Love like you’ve never been hurt

Sing like no one is listening

and live like it’s heaven on earth.

Slàinte!'

'Do dheagh shlàinte!' comes a loud cheer from most of the Moir clan intermingled with 'Santé' from almost everyone else, as each person in the room downs their glasses in long gulps, Tessa and Scott included, before erupting into loud cheers, applause and a few wolf whistles coming from a bunch of their old classmates. They both try to make themselves heard over the din wanting to shout out their gratitude, 'Thank you so much to everyone for all your support!' but their attempts get drowned out as a deluge of people makes their way over for hugs and pictures.

Eventually Scott gets man handled off the chair by his brothers and Tessa's sister, whilst Tessa is able to clamber down helped by Joe who grasps her in a great hug before letting her go. She is flushed and giddy and as soon as she is able to makes a bee line to the kitchen to get herself some cold water from the fridge in the hope it will help her cool down both her temperature and her feelings.

Her mum is nowhere to be seen, having taken charge of distributing desserts she is probably doing the rounds in the other rooms but Alma is back in there, still giving directions like an army general, multi tasking over an embarrassing quantity of food, glasses, tupperware and dirty dishes.

'Oh dear, you look a little emotional pumpkin, I knew my husband would wax poetic on you two! Is everything alright?'

'Alma...it has been so moving, I can't thank you all enough for everything' Tessa replies sincerely in between gulps of clear water as she does her best to reground herself.

Alma chuckles looking at her curiously.

'Here dear, I didn't see you eat much, you've been talking to people all the time, you have to try one of these, it's my friend's Flo's recipe, and I confiscated them before they get raided.' She thrusts a glorious looking golden butter tart at Tessa.

'Thank you Alma, I think my sugar levels were dipping! Oh my God,' Tessa exclaims amazed at the unexpected deliciousness. 'This is heavenly!'

Tessa puts her arm around Alma leaning her head onto her shoulder as she finishes munching the tart.

'Well Olympics are over so live a little and eat what you like dear! I'm preparing a tray of these for you to smuggle home, don't let my sons see you or they will wrestle you to the ground to get them back.'

'I feel much better! Thanks!' Alma unperturbed continues her packing whilst she lets Tessa lean on her side.

'So where is that peculiar son of mine? Oh there he is!' They spot Scott through the door with Kate and Uncle Paul. Kate is sniffing suspiciously inside a glass Uncle Paul is trying to pitch her, everyone seems to be in high spirits and it is evident both Scott and his Uncle are animatedly trying to persuade her that whatever is in it, it has to be God's gift to Canadian myxology.   
They both laugh as Kate tentatively takes a sip and the expression on her face reveals the exact amount of alcohol in Uncle Paul's formula.

'You do know dear,' Alma is looking for the right words as she continues fussing over the kitchenware,

'He may be a bit of a hot head sometimes,' she pauses briefly 'but he's as honest a man as you will ever know Tess.' and she pats Tessa' s cheek.

Tessa is taken aback, feeling a new surge of emotion getting the better of her, she knows this is not just a passing comment and she wonders if Alma suspects something.

'I know..' Tessa squeezes her, and she means it.

'Just saying,' Alma brushes it off as if her remark was nothing of particular importance and continues pottering around 'Now pass me that tray dear would you?'

As she helps Alma, Tessa looks up through the door and finds herself staring straight into Scott's eyes.   
He has been looking at them, she doesn't know since how long.   
A sea of unspoken words travels between them. It may be the drink, it may be what Alma just said, but Tessa is getting that floaty feeling again. Everything is getting a little blurry except the shape of him which is the most solid thing she can see. The only figure in focus, like her only centre of Gravity, is Scott.


	15. Cross the Line  - (John Legend)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a bid to restore normalcy, Tessa has agreed to let Scott pick her up. At some point they are going to have to be adults about this right? They still haven't been by themselves once, and after the family dinner she had intentionally kept to herself in her continuing attempt to not get derailed again. But she knows at some point they are going to be alone, that this is a good opportunity as any to get over it and it is really, really, got to stop being weird between them.
> 
> Maybe it's the relief that things seem to have normalized, maybe it's that damn workman's dungaree suit that she's so cute in, but much more likely it's just because he has been wanting her so bad since he's had the first real taste of her in his life.  
> He sneaks one arm around her waist.  
> He kisses her head.  
> He kisses her neck behind her ear  
> He kisses her neck again. Lower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the formatting, I still haven't figured it out, so please bear with me. Sometimes it does what I want but most times it leads a life of it's own.  
> More sexual tension here and as always an interesting challenge to write sex scenes without coming across as corny or coarse!

London Ontario -Tessa's House

Looking at their schedule now as she is trying to pack, Tessa is beginning to worry that they may have exaggerated in saying yes to absolutely everything. But since they had got back from Korea and resurfaced from their break, Michelle had called in with a huge amount of offers. She and Scott both agreed it made sense to maximize their success while it lasted, since many were once in a lifetime opportunities. The end result was that they were booked up solid for the next six months.  
How the hell she is going to manage to fit everything she needs in three suitcases she has no idea as she stares disconsolately at the mound of clothes laid out on her bed and all over the bedroom floor.

They are leaving in a couple of days to embark on the long string of skating shows but tonight they have one last sponsor's engagement to attend before going away. In a bid to restore normalcy, Tessa has agreed to let Scott pick her up. She has left her car at her mum's anyway, so her siblings can use it while she's away. So it is just going to be more practical if he drives her and in any case she has gone to these events a million of times with him before. At some point they are going to have to be adults about this right?  
They still haven't been by themselves once, and after the family dinner she had intentionally kept to herself in her continuing attempt to not get derailed again. But she knows at some point they are going to be alone, that this is a good opportunity as any to get over it and it is really, really,  got to stop being weird between them.  
Besides she has so much to do she really doesn't have that much time to worry about it. In general she enjoys these dinners, but at the moment would give anything for some extra time to finish packing.  
They've been asked to say a few words, Scott usually improvises and it works great for him but she is much more comfortable having something prepared, so she is writing a short speech.

On top of it all she is expecting delivery of the final pieces of furniture she needs to complete her living room. The company is sending fitters to mount everything. She desperately hopes they arrive quickly because it is getting late and really wants the room completed before leaving home for such a long period. She so doesn't like leaving things half done.

At least she’s already picked out her outfit for the evening, so there will be no extra time wasting getting ready. She approvingly surveys the short, tight, black dress with the lacy back she had picked up in Milan a couple years ago, pleased at the opportunity to wear it again.

As she is focusing on putting the finishing touches to the speech the door bell finally rings.  
'Thank God!' she exhales with a sigh of relief.

The brawny looking man at the door smiles delightedly as he recognizes her, as do the two burly and slightly scruffy lads peeking out from behind him.

'Well, look who it is! Our nations' pride and joy! Miss Tessa Virtue, when I saw the name on the boxes I wondered if it might be you! May I say congratulations and hope you don't mind, you are even prettier in person than on television! My wife talks about you all the time. So where's that man of yours? I'd like to shake his hand!' He looks over her shoulder evidently assuming Scott lives with her.

'Thank you, oh no, err we don't' live together, but I'll tell him and please say hi to your wife from us!' Tessa feels herself blushing. She almost feels as if she's letting this nice man down having to declare once again that she and Scott 'are not a couple.'

'Where would you like us to put this? Miss, I don't know if the company has notified you, but we got a punctured tire this morning and we are running late, we can't stay and complete the fitting for you today but we can come again Friday?'

'Oh no! Friday I'll be already gone!' Tessa is mortified. She checks her phone and indeed there are three missed calls from the store. She remembers she had flicked her phone to 'silent' mode' while concentrating on her writing. She flicks it back on. _._

'So sorry dear but it's the earliest we can do it. What about that fella of yours, looks strong enough to me, maybe you could give him a buzz eh, and put him to work?' he titters.

'He's not my fel..., oh never mind, I think he is busy anyway, we may just have to reschedule for when I return, I'll call the store and see if we can fix another time but thank you anyway.'

She waves them goodbye as the large truck reverses out of her driveway and is left standing alone, staring forlornly, at the huge box in her lobby, that is probably quite close to the size of a small car.  
She debates whether to leave this whole thing for when she returns or whether she should soldier through and attempt at doing this herself. She's always been quite hands on with DIY, and had loved restoring her house, although truth be told, the jobs she had undertook hadn't quite been of this scale.

An hour later and a flustered Tessa is still grappling with opening the massive box and laying out all the contents on the floor.

Her phone rings. It's Scott.

'Hey T, so I'm picking you up right? What time do you.. what's going on?'

He can hear the strain in her voice. 'Hang on.. oof,' scraping noises and a crash, ' Nothing, uh seven?'

Another bang.

'Tessa what are you doing?'

'Nothing. Well, some DIY actually.'

'T it's not those gigantic shelves you ordered two months ago?'

'Yes.'

'And why are YOU mounting them may I ask?

'Because the fitters had a setback and can't do it today and I don't want to leave them here before we go away. It's fine, I'll be done soon.'

'I'll be right over.'

'No really you don't have to...'

'Tess, really. I'm in the area, if it's the last ones I saw you choose I bet they weigh like baby elephants. We can't risk you hurting yourself. Actually tell you what, Danny was with me a minute ago. We were collecting some goods for the store. He was heading back but I bet If I give him a call right away, he can turn around and meet me at your house. I honestly think it's going to need all three of us to deal with those monsters. Team work ok? We can do this!'

'Oh ok, but really...'

'See you in ten.'

Tess is relieved. Two ways relieved. Relieved that help is on the way but also that Scott's brother is going to be there so the two of them are not going to be completely alone right in her house.

It takes three hours and all three of them to get anywhere near close to finishing.

By now they are hot and sweaty and there are wood shavings and cardboard scraps and screws and saw dust strewn all over Tessa's beautiful polished hardwood floors, but the monsters are finally up, looking surprisingly at ease in their new setting, as if they had always been there and it hadn't taken two athletes in top form and one retired one in pretty good shape to get them firmly lodged into place.  
The three of them stand in a row surveying the result of their labors.  
Scott and Danny in their new 'Moir Skate Shop' t-shirts, baseball caps turned backwards, and Tessa in baggy denim dungarees and a fuchsia pink sports bra.  
If anyone had been looking through the window they would have thought they were watching a scene from a TV domestic sitcom.

Danny totally seriously: 'They are mocking us, look at how smug they are.'

Scott still wheezing slightly: 'I think that next time anyone down at the gym suggests our next dare should be the Iron man I'll just tell them to call up Martha's Furniture Home Store and order ten racks of what is it...Rustic Lignum shelving in sanded white. Then come talk to me.'

Tessa delighted: 'I owe you guys, you've been amazing! Sometime you must let me make you dinn...'

'No, no, it's fine,' Danny chips in quickly, 'If you really want to, you can take us for a beer and we'll call it quits.' Tessa's lack of cooking skills has been another one of their families running jokes for years.

He sweeps her in for a hug 'Ok sweetheart, I've got to dash now, I'm long overdue with my delivery, I'll leave the boy here to give you a hand with cleaning up, will be good practice for him, last time he offered to 'organize' things at the shop we had to re-label every single box in the warehouse.'

'Hey!' Scott protests giving him mock stink eye.

In a flash he's out the door leaving the two of them to survey the sea of debris on the floor.

 

Tessa is so grateful and relieved the job is finally completed that she has almost forgotten why she was fretting.  
'Thank you soooo much. I have no idea how I ever thought I could wing this on my own.' She looks so warm and happy right now, nothing like the recent Tessa who has been on tenterhooks around him.

'I'll make us some coffee to keep us going.'

Scott is scrunching the huge box the consignment came in, into a mighty pile in the corner.  
'Ok, I'll help you get rid of this mess and then I've really gotta run and get cleaned up myself or I won't be ready in time!'

Tessa wonders what the hell was she worrying about, it's her old Scott, the Scott who never shies away from lending a hand, the Scott she can rely on to help her sort things out, right? And she feels relieved they seem to be getting back to their usual banter. This she is much more comfortable with.  
She also tries very hard not to focus her thoughts on why the hell it is there is always something particularly attractive about men doing manual labor, as Scott keeps squeezing past her putting the odd finishing touch here and there with some or other mysterious looking tool.

The cleaning goes much quicker than the mounting and soon they are taking a break on the stools in her kitchen admiring their handiwork and finally it is not weird between them anymore.  
It's just them, as they have been a million times before, chatting across from each other over the island counter. So they go over their schedule once more and check their flights details and finally Tessa brings up on the screen the speech so she can run it by him quickly.  
He brings his stool over and sits up close right behind her, peering over her shoulder at the small writing on the screen as she recites it out loud. 

Maybe it's the relief that things seem to have normalized, maybe it's that damn workman's dungaree suit that she's so cute in, but much more likely it's just because he has been wanting her so bad since he's had the first real taste of her in his life.  
He sneaks one arm around her waist.  
He kisses her head.  
He kisses her neck behind her ear  
He kisses her neck again. Lower.  
She doesn't protest but she's stopped reading.

'Scott...' she murmurs almost inaudibly.

'Tell me to stop Tessa and I swear I will stop right now and I'll leave if you want me to leave.'

One strap of her dungarees has come off her shoulder. He brushes her hair to the side and softly kisses her bare back all over.

'No...I...don't want you to leave...please stay.'

His heart jumps in his chest with relief. He cups her chin, gently twists her face to the side and kisses her on the mouth. His tongue parts her lips and he flicks lightly first but now that he's inside her again, in her hot and wet mouth, he wants more.  
Still no objections. She’s kissing him back.  
Emboldened he slips both hands inside the loose top of her suit sneaking his fingers under her bra, finding her small breasts, cupping them lightly, then pinching her pert nipples, rolling them around in his fingers slowly and pitilessly. He doesn't' stop, his tongue probing and his hands torturing her for what seems the longest time.

She whispers breathlessly, 'What are you doing to me?'

'What I've been thinking of doing every day for the last three weeks. I missed you so much T!'

'I missed you too...' she sighs, 'You could make me come...just doing...this.'

It excites him having her like this, in his arms again and at his mercy, especially after she had been so elusive with him. At last she is letting him back in, he couldn't be more elated and now it's his turn to play with her.  
She presses her back further into his chest, raises her arm and encircles his neck pulling him into her wanting to feel his tongue in deeper in her mouth.  
He releases one breast, sliding the other strap down so that her loose suit falls down round her hips. His hand slides down into her underwear. It's drenched. She's whimpering lightly now and he can't help but feeling immense satisfaction at the effect he's having on her.  
Hearing his usually controlled partner losing it under his hands is draining all the blood from his body and its all gathering in one place.  
His thumb slowly circles the hard bud of her clit, pressing and releasing in gentle strokes. He's getting the most massive hard-on he has ever had in his life, at least since those shady times when he was thirteen and Charlie had smuggled Elvira Mistress of the Dark porn comics into the dressing room.  
Tessa has turned her head back towards the counter now, exposing her long bare neck to him, and he can't resist biting her, not hard but not lightly either, at the same time he hooks his index and middle finger and slides them right into her soft cleft. He starts finger fucking her. Slowly. His other hand now alternating between her breasts, tweaking  first one nipple and then the other.  
Now she is moaning.

‘Oh God Scott...I’m going to…’ she can’t speak anymore as he intensifies his motions bringing her off to an intensely satisfying climax.

Tessa isn't quite sure how on earth this happened again but at this point is beyond caring.  
The instant he put his am round her waist she knew what was coming, she knew she had no intention of fighting it and she knew she had been lying to herself in denying how much she wanted to be with him again and how much she had missed him too.

Scott is stroking her back gently now, letting her recover but Tessa needs more and gets up from her stool, breaking contact with him for one short minute to kick it away.  
Just as swiftly she lets the dungarees slide down to her feet discarding them to the side.  
Now she's in nothing but her hot pink bra and panties, her back still turned to him. She leans back and sits on his lap feeling the rock solid bulge in his trousers and she starts swaying rhythmically to and fro kneading his hardness.  
He can feel her heat and it is his breathing now that is getting shorter.

Tessa stands up, turns her head around and gazes at him invitingly bending over the counter ever so slowly exposing her sensational ass toward him.  
Scott can't process how the judicious girl in the workman's suit and reading glasses has transformed yet again into this brazen green eyed siren capable of sending his desire through the roof. He grasps her underwear tugs it down, leaving it half way down her thighs.  
Before Tessa has time to guess what he is about to do, his mouth is in between her thighs and now it is his tongue exploring her, eagerly and lusciously.

'Please Scott...I need you...' she's gasping.

His tongue trails up and over her back and he covers her body with his body, pressing her against the cool marble top.

'Tess you're going to drive me crazy!' The quickest sound of a zipper and then she can feel him, the tip of his hard cock nudging against her ready to penetrate her at last.

'Please fuck me!'

Hearing her beg so boldly, blows a fuse in his brain, he grabs her hips and drives into her forcefully from behind and it feels just as good as it did the first time, but even better because now he really knows her, he knows what she likes and how to touch her, he knows her taste, her smell and the feel of her, tightly wrapped around his shaft and it's the best feeling in the world.  
He fucks her like this for a long time, softly first, kissing her neck, shoulders and back and then fucking her hard as he can feel her urging him to take her even deeper and his kisses turn to ardent bites he knows will leave a mark. There are no room-mates about to interrupt, or colleagues in neighboring rooms and this time they both get really loud.  
Tessa comes again a few seconds before he does. When he feels her beginning to tense he takes her hand, bringing it down in between their legs, encouraging her to pleasure herself, without ever taking his own off hers, till she climaxes so hard that he has to steady himself for fear she will push him off his feet. The feeling of her strong muscles wringing his cock in undulating ripples ignites his own orgasm and he comes just as intensely deep inside her.

It was passionate and it was raw and they are both panting harder than after anyone of their toughest skates.  
As soon as they get their breath back Scott realizes Tessa is getting uncomfortable, still wedged in between his hips and the island counter and he lifts her up swiftly from the cold counter rubbing her arms and sides tenderly, in a bid to ease up her tensed muscles. He turns her to face him enfolding her in his arms. She is so beautiful, her cheeks blushed, eyes sparkling, he lifts her off her feet and on shaky legs they stagger together to the sofa collapsing on the velvet cushions in an exhausted heap of tangled limbs.  
He holds her tight and she lets him.

'Who knew,' he whispers kissing her face gently all over, 'that we would be so good at this too.'

And with that they both fall deeply asleep.


	16. Invisible - (Alison Moyet)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evidently repressing the yearning to be together hadn't worked at all.  
> Instead the outcome had been some pretty explosive sex.  
> As far as he is concerned relationship status has finally been updated.
> 
> As soon as Scott closes the door Tessa collapses back on the sofa, buries her head in her hands and for the first time in years, probably since when she was eighteen and had gotten the news she had to have surgery or give up skating, she allows herself to have a healthy, hearty, jolly good old cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conflict comes to a head as they realize they are at completely different stages in their relationship and it messes things up.  
> (I actually got upset writing this but I have relief in knowing that I can write the resolution too - phew!)  
> Also new characters get introduced here who will have a role later in the story.

London Ontario - Tessa 's House first and Coronado Hotel later

It's well over an hour later when Tessa wakes, feeling more rested than she has in months. As she emerges from the twilight of her sleep, for a split second she has one of those moments where she is not quite sure where she is, before rapidly realizing that not only is she on her own sofa, but is half naked and wrapped up in the arms of an equally semi naked, sleeping Scott. It surprises her that she managed to sleep at all particularly in this position. It's unusual for her. His chest is raising up and down ever so slightly as he breathes peacefully still buried in his dreams _._ Tessa matches up her own breathing to his own, not wanting to disturb him for a minute, while she takes stock of what just happened...again, despite her best efforts for it not to.

Evidently repressing the yearning to be together hadn't worked at all.  
Instead the outcome had been some pretty explosive sex.  
As she's lying there lost in her thoughts Scott stirs gently, eyes still closed, she can feel him stretching out his body beneath her. She raises herself up to give him a little space and it's enough for her to see the clock on the mantelpiece.

'OH NO! No, no, hell no!' It is really late, they are not going to make it.

Now she is out-and-out shaking him, in a bid to get him up fast.

'Hey babe what's up?' He smiles still looking a little drowsy and he pulls her in.

'Want to make out on this new sofa of yours?'

'Scott...Scott? SCOTT! It's late seriously. It's really late!'

'What? Well what time is...oh dammmmit, it IS late!'

She has got his attention now and he is sitting up hair tousled, one eye squinting at the clock.

'Hey I came over in good faith to help,' he professes innocently, 'so I say it's all your fault for being so irresistible and...'

'Scott, really you've got to go right now, if you run we might just make it!'

'Alright alright! 'Scott gets up unwillingly as Tessa gathers clothes from the floor and chucks them to him. He hops on one leg towards the lobby as he pulls up a pant leg and puts on a shoe with Tessa shooing him towards the front door.  
He regains his footing on the threshold. Taking her face in his hands he plants a kiss on her lips,  
'You know, we could not go and say the house got hit by a storm, no better, a tornado and we had to board ourselves in and...I mean it's true in a way...' He is getting into it.

 Tessa pulls back, 'Scott! Please! Drive safe... but go?

'Ok, ok I'll be back in an hour max to pick you up, promise.'

Kisses.

'Going.'

'Gone.'

'See? I'm gone.' He calls from the other side of the door and she can't help but smile tightly.

 

As he is driving back Scott can still smell Tessa's scent on his body and taste her flavor in his mouth and if it wasn't for the fact that within an hour they are required to be speaking in front of a room of over two hundred people, presumably looking more than a little presentable, he would be quite happy to skip showering altogether and bask in the afterglow her body has imprinted on him.  
In fact right now he would have willingly passed on the soiree and remained comfortably wrapped up with Tessa on her sofa. They could have ordered take out, watched a movie and maybe later actually succeeded in making it to the bedroom, instead of employing the first surface available to consume this fire that had ignited between them.  
'Twenty years and we still haven't slept in a bed together!' He chuckles at the irony of it. 'Well not counting sleepovers when we were kids.' But even then they had been in twin beds.  
'This is what people with regular lives do right? I get it, I could get used to this,' he continues his musings.  
He recalls the exact moment a few days ago he had caught Tessa and his mum leaning against each other wrapped up in their own little private conversation. For some reason that image had imprinted firmly on his heart.  
In that instant it had been as if everything was exactly in the place it was meant to be.

As far as he is concerned relationship status has finally been updated.

As soon as Scott closes the door Tessa collapses back on the sofa, buries her head in her hands and for the first time in years, probably since when she was eighteen and had gotten the news she had to have surgery or give up skating, she allows herself to have a healthy, hearty, jolly good old cry.

She isn't sad. It's not like she is sobbing as if the world is about to end.

But she has been fighting a tough battle with her emotions since the day he first kissed her all the way back in Korea and the tension which has been building up steadily has just become too much. It has got to emerge somewhere and it finally spills out into clusters of tiny droplets on that shiny wooden floor that had just recently been the theatre of their passion.  
Honestly she feels as if she has just been wrung from the inside out. Once more overwhelmed by this tsunami of intensity. 'How could it not be,' she thinks to herself, Scott being Scott could never do things in moderation.

Yet the thing that surprises her most is herself. How easy she finds it to let herself go with him. She had never been so uninhibited before. No qualms. About how to touch him, about letting him explore her body, about being judged, about letting him see her so exposed, even about using a condom for God's sake. That's how comfortable she is with him. It hadn't exactly been the same with previous boyfriends. Maybe being physically accustomed to each other on the ice has given them a head start, but it still amazes her how this intimacy has come so naturally. It's as if each time they kissed some unexplainable magnetic field formed around them, inside which anything was allowed, and once again, it had all unfolded effortlessly.

Yet she can't shake off the anxiety which is gripping her insides in a tight knot.  
Her body and her heart don't seem to be lining up quite yet and it is a painful struggle.  
'Maybe Kait is right and I'm just an emotionally hung up mess!' she thinks to herself recollecting her friend's words a few days earlier. But she know this is a little different from her previous experiences.  
This is Scott and Scott is not everybody else.  
The one person who has always been an unwavering constant presence in her life has now become part of that shady realm of uncertainties, a new member of the 'it may or may not work out' club and of all people he is the one person she is not prepared to risk.

Under the hot jet of the shower as she washes away the soreness from her body, Tessa realizes this new state of affairs is providing her with another first.  
Confronting these feelings is much scarier than the most frightening jump she has ever had to perform. Every time she had been pressed by her coaches to attempt a risky new leap Scott had never let her fall. Now he was pushing her to take the plunge into this unchartered, unfamiliar territory and she was not sure if he would still be there to catch her.  
Tessa has never been so terrified of anything in her life.

 

At quarter to seven Scott's phone lights up. Text from Tessa.

'Don't worry about picking me up, it's really late and we won't make it on time. Michelle is taking me, we are already on the way. See you there.'

'What the fu.... heck!' Scott can't repress his frustration. He sincerely hopes she is truly blowing him off for practical reasons but deep down he knows this is not accidental. He slams the car door shut and makes his way to the venue, a storm of misgivings brewing in his chest.

 

The Coronado Hotel lobby is seething with a sea of dark suited investment managers and their plastic looking dates, clinking champagne glasses and making their way into the Michelangelo Hall where the gala dinner of Arena First Capital is about to be held.  
At the far end of the room he spots their manager Michelle, her busty form hardly contained by the long green satin gown she chose to wear, giving directions to another couple of athletes before breezing down the hall to fetch him.  
'Hello handsome! Sorry we didn't wait for you but Tessa was in a flap about getting here late, come on, I'll show you to our table.' 

Michelle keeps chattering away, something about their gold medals being on display in the hall with the other athletes' trophies and a meet and greet with guests after the dinner, but the prattle of her voice fades away into the background as soon as he sees Tessa.  
She is talking to a distinguished and elderly looking gentleman standing by their table as they wait to be seated.  
To say she is smoking hot is a huge understatement.  
She is wearing a short black dress with a low cut back, her long legs enhanced by the highest black stiletto heels, hair loose in long curled waves, two fine emerald pendants bringing out the striking  green of her eyes, dark red berry lipstick enhancing the paleness of her complexion.  
It is not like it is the first time he has seen her dress up. He always used to think she looked beautiful but it had always been in an objective kind of way. It was a fact period.  
Seeing her standing there now, looking like she is glowing from within, he can't help thinking about how only a few hours before she had been in his arms naked and flushed, sighing his name as she came.  
'Twice' he thinks to himself smugly.  
It hits him even more forcefully what an absolute blind idiot he had been. The best thing that could have happened to him had always been right there under his nose.

He makes his way over to their table with Michelle who introduces the elegant Gentleman as Gerard Gagnon Sr., one of the partners of the firm. He turns to greet Tessa, doing his best not to let any resentment seep through. He knows it may be superficial but it is really hard to be mad at her looking like that. Besides he can't but wishfully hope he might be taking that dress off her later.  
He leans in to brush her cheek, his hand imperceptibly caressing the lace on her back.

'See, you needn't have worried. Looks like we both made it in time in the end.'  
He can feel the muscles in her back tensing up. Not good.

'Yes, sorry, Michelle called and she was five minutes from my house, and it was getting late and I just thought it would be quicker for both of us and also safer if you didn't have to rush, you always drive so fast when you're late.' She says it very quickly without even taking a breath and just as swiftly resumes her conversation with Gagnon Sr.

'Sure no problem.' he replies mechanically.

When Tessa sees Scott approaching their table her heart skips a beat. She knows he cleans up nice but tonight he looks particularly fine. He saunters in with his usual swagger looking very smooth in a steel gray suit which as well cut as it is, has a hard time containing his rippling frame. Particularly when he walks she can see it is just a little too tight round his hips, probably because he has bulked up in the last three months leading up to the games, not that she minds the resulting view and clearly nor do a number of other females, and a few guys in the room, but she makes a mental note to send a memo to the outfitter who sometimes styles them, to fix it for him.  
'Oh God what on earth am I doing!' She stops herself as she realizes that he is a grown man who clearly can dress himself without her help, although he did often ask for her advice, and much more embarrassingly, that she is practically staring at his groin.  
When he puts his hand on her back it sends a shiver down her spine and she has to break away to avoid getting completely distracted from her host's conversation. She knows the only weapon she has to preserve her stability is to stay as far away from him as she reasonably can.  
That was her grand plan when she left the house and that is what she sets out to do now.

They get seated apart as according to Michelle 'We need to mix you up to entertain the sponsors you know. They have been so generous so it's only fair we spread you out as much as possible.'  
So they spend the most part of the dinner making small talk with their neighbors. Tessa's attention monopolized by Monsieur Gagnon raving about their new sponsorship program for disadvantaged children, whilst Scott gets overpowered by Madame Gagnon's limitless curiosity about skaters' costumes and how amazing it is they don't move out of place and what exactly is it that they wear underneath.  
Tessa never even glimpses at Scott once, whilst he steals more than a few passing glances at her in the hope of making eye contact but with no success.  
He knows what is going on.  
She is freezing him again like at the press conference in Pyeongchang when she ignored him, or when they had just got back, and then disappeared on him for a few days.  
It is making him increasingly irritated. So much for being Zen...

Eventually the speeches begin and after a long winded introduction by Gagnon Jr., the athletes are in turn invited up to the stand for a few words.

They are the last ones to speak. He helps her out of her chair to make their way together to the podium. She is trying to rush ahead of him but this time he is quicker, catches up and firmly grasps her hand.  
You can hold my hand Tessa for God's sake, it's not explosive!' he can't help snapping.  
She looks at him as if he has stung her but she doesn't say anything letting him lead her up onto the stage.  
Somehow they both manage to keep the tenseness at bay and she recites the very gracious well put together speech she had prepared, thanking the corporation and their sponsors, whilst Scott delivers an impassioned talk on the value of partnership and the importance of supporting the future generations in sports. They receive a  long round of applause and a couple whistles which mercifully help lighten the mood of the otherwise stuffy room.

As they make their way down the stairs he can sense she is about to slip away again but before any flight and chase can occur, they both get intercepted by a hoard of Gagnon siblings wanting to personally introduce them to the other partners of the firm and their spouses, and they each get sucked up again into separate clusters of conversations. Scott is swamped by a group of Gagnon teenage nieces who can't stop fussing over him, whilst Tessa seems to get stuck into an intense conversation with a tall good-looking man, with a burgundy bow tie he hadn't noticed before. He is talking very close to her face. He can see her pull back a little but she doesn't seem uncomfortable, so other that on a personal level he is not thrilled about it, he sees no cause for alarm and continues giving his attention to the giggly teenagers.

Eventually Michelle, who seems to be talking at a hundred miles a minute with anyone in her periphery, finds them and ushers them hurriedly towards the Meet and Greet area, where all the other athletes are lined up by the displays of medals and trophies, a queue already forming for the introductions.

'Word of warning, it won't be only patrons, there is some press too, I guess they want a picture and a few questions, is that ok?' Michelle asks briskly.

'Sure.' they both assent unconcernedly.

Tessa is still acting shifty, avoiding eye contact and chit chatting about nothing in particular in between one photo signing and the other. They are in public so Scott goes with it begrudgingly, although he is brewing a temper and doing his best to not let it show.

 A very charming old couple showers them with lavish praises recounting how they had been following their progress ever since they were in the Junior Championships, how great they had been in Pyeongchang and how wonderful it was to finally see them together.  
Tessa jumps in all too quickly to rectify,

'Oh thank you so much, that is so sweet, but we are not together, we are just partners, but we really appreciate the support and compliments, thank you!'

'Oh my dear, sorry to hear it, well if you are not you should be, think about it!' the gentleman says sweetly whilst patting her hand as they move on to the next table.

'No don't be sorry, we have a great working relationship but that's all!' Tessa flippantly calls out after them.

Scott doesn't say anything but his mood is getting darker. Still he holds it in making a concerted effort to give the fans a good experience as one group follows the other.  
  
Finally a chubby lady in purple velvet who looks like she is wearing a toupee, introduces herself as a journalist from the Henderson Herald and asks them if they mind if she takes pictures, asks a few questions and records their answers for a piece for both their local and online paper.  
They pose together, heads close but with Tessa keeping her hips as far away from Scott's body as possible.   
It doesn't go unnoticed. This whole distance thing is really beginning to annoy him now.

The lady ends up asking them some very pertinent questions about their training and technique and they both ease up a tiny bit since those are the subjects they are always the most comfortable talking about.  
It seems to be going quite well until the indigo lady inevitably drops her own assault.

'So, considering how you two sizzle on the ice, any chance our viewers may be treated to the good news that you may indeed be an item off the ice?'

Tessa once again taking this into her hands without giving Scott a chance to retort:

'No, not at all, we are team mates but we are most definitely not together. We keep it just for the ice!'  
At least she has the grace to avert her gaze on that last phrase.

'Do you think it might change in the future?' the lady insists,

'Oh no I really don't think so,' Tessa negates all too emphatically, 'We've known each other for so many years I don't think that's possible! But thank you for your time, here is our card please let us know when the interview is published!'  
Tessa tries to prolong their goodbyes as she is more than a little nervous about what is coming.  
As the evening wore on she had sensed her tactic has become counterproductive. If Scott had been patient with her before in Korea, or after they had returned and she had disappeared on him, now she can clearly see he is more than a little edgy. She can feel him bristling like a hungry wolf, hackles raised and she knows this can only end in one of two ways, a fight or possibly at this point, angry sex, although she quickly tries to abort that last thought kicking herself for even letting that possibility into her mind.

As soon as the reporter leaves a fuming Scott isn't having any more of it. He grabs her hand and pulls a faltering Tessa behind him towards an inlet behind a marble arch in the great lobby.

'REALLY TESSA?' he glares at her questioningly.

'WHAT WAS THAT? Because if I'm not mistaken just under three hours ago you were begging me to FUCK you SO please explain if that's what our "business" partnership has become now? If I've turned into some sort of DISPOSABLE sex toy for you then maybe give me a heads up FIRST!' he runs his hand through his hair agitatedly, roughing it all up.

Tessa is stunned at the crudity of his words, it happens rarely and only when he is truly mad, all she can do to front his fury is to fight back as best she can.

'Oh that's rich, coming from you! I can say exactly the same, you can't just have it your way now every time you get an urge and take it out on ME because you need relief from your tensions! I'M NOT YOUR PUNCHING BALL!'

'For God's sake STOP IT Tessa with this urges thing!' his eyes are blazing. 'You know better than that, this is NOT what this is for me at ALL!  But from what I just heard obviously this has been just some kind of entertainment, some kind of a GAME for you! Well tell you what, I don't like it and I'm not playing it!'  
He can see he hurt her and instantly regrets it but he is too flustered to stop himself.

'I WAS FINE,' she hisses through tight lips, 'I was fine, before you pulled the trigger, stirred this whole thing up and changed everything between us!' He can see dark circles forming under her eyes,    
'and I can guarantee you, I may not be sure what this is but I most certainly don't think of it AS A GAME!' She spits it out defiantly but her voice cracks on the last words and she storms off leaving him there seething against the cold marble column.

She ignores him for the rest of the evening but he is still mad so he doesn't attempt to talk to her again.

At the bar he gets chatted up by the Gagnon mothers of the Gagnon teenagers who won't quit nattering about the recent trip they've all taken to Namibia. In the reflection of the bar mirror he can spot Tessa.  
She is talking to burgundy bow tie man again, still too close for comfort but at this point he is too cross to care. She doesn't know he can see her but she keeps glimpsing over.  
'Good!' he thinks defiantly. 'Serves you right. If you won't talk to me there is somebody else who will.' he raises a glass to himself.

Over an hour and several never-ending conversations later he assesses that his duty here is done and that he can start making his way back home.  
The anger has subsided somewhat partly dulled by one small shot (he is driving after all) of single malt, so he looks around for Tessa to check if she still wants that lift home, although it hasn't subsided enough that he would ever agree to 'come in for a coffee' on the remote chance that she is feeling remorseful and might offer.

She does not seem to be anywhere in sight but he does spot a green gown and a reddish-purple bow tie in deep conversation near the exit, so he makes his way over to Michelle who introduces him finally to the mysterious interloper.

'Sir Neill Mac Donahl may I at last introduce Scott Moir to you. Scott, Sir Neill is a senior partner of the company, amongst many other things, and one of the first to root for your sponsorships.'  
Michelle chuckles bashfully, 'and he is a great admirer of yours and Tessa's'

'How do you do Sir, thank you for the support. I can't even begin to express how invaluable it has been to us.' Scott and Sir Neill exchange firm handshakes. The man seems affable enough.

'Well it certainly looks like it paid off. We've all been admiring your medals tonight!'

Scott is usually extremely instinctive about his likes and dislikes. Despite this apparent joviality, for a fleeting second he feels an undercurrent of something slightly off directed at him. It is so quick he hardly registers it but it is definitely there. At this moment he cannot imagine it will only become clear to him a few months from now.  
But it's getting late and really time for him to take his leave.

'Well it's been a pleasure to meet you but I must be getting home. Have you seen Tessa?'

Michelle looks totally surprised, 'She's just gone dear, I saw her at the cloak room getting her jacket ten minutes ago, she said she was getting a taxi home'.  
'Sorry' she adds as an afterthought as she catches the dismayed look on his face, whilst Sir Neill on the other hand seems almost inappropriately pleased at the information.

'Oh ok right, I'll go check on her. Good night.' and he makes his way out, his previous annoyance now transformed into feelings of deep unease.  
However much they've bickered in the past she has never left without saying goodbye or letting him know how she was getting home.  
But maybe she is right and things are different between them now. He calls. Her phone is off. That is definitely not ok.  
He's done.


	17. Just Friends - (Hayden James)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott takes charge of the situation. He has had to play it cooler than he would have liked but this roller coaster has not been good for either of them. Letting things calm down will be the best thing to do. Patience is not exactly his strong point but he has no choice. He may not like it but he's ready to wait it out. After all he didn't become an Olympic medalist by cutting any corners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the first part, it included all the events leading up to leaving for Tour, and brings us back to the first two chapters, in which they are already on the road.  
> A series of further developments will very soon come up which will further test their relationship.  
> (I did remember to put #slowburn in the tags right?)
> 
> Formatting still living it's own life

Ilderton - Ontario - Coffee Shop

The next morning Tessa wakes to a curt message from Scott on her phone.

'Team meeting.10.00.Village Teapot. See you there.'

She know she can't get out of this one. Calling a team meeting trumps anything else. No one skives out of the Team Meeting. It's an iron rule they made long ago.

When she arrives he is already there, a first, and is seated in a booth near the back, a double coffee, two pistachio croissants and a sealed cup of almond milk cappuccino in front of him. As she takes her seat, she is feeling more than a little apprehensive and certainly more than a little guilty.

'Hi, check if it's still warm if not I'll get you another one.' he asks briskly.

'Thanks it's fine, thanks for getting this.'

Any trace of the amorous Scott of yesterday afternoon or the furious Scott of last night is gone. He is very business-like, no preliminary small talk.  
Like a sniper on a mission he shoots straight to the point:

'Tess, you do realize you can't avoid me right?' he gazes at her earnestly.

'We have about six interviews to do in the next few weeks and then we have four, no, nearly five months of shows and travel together. So, are we going to rehearse every day, perform every night,' he hesitates not knowing how to put this as subtly as possible, 'and say we...got together again...if we both wanted to that is...then you'll just pretend I don't exist?' he looks at her unflinching.

Tessa stares into her cappuccino.  
‘No…no, I hear what you are saying…and I'm sorry, I'm really sorry about last night...and I'm also sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving.’ She knows that was a major wrongdoing on her part.

'Yeah well, you got me worried. Look I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have lost my temper but...' He takes a huge breath exhaling long and deep.

'Tessa I can't do this.'

She holds her breath dreading what is coming next.

'What happened with us was amazing...' His voice softens for an instant and she breathes out in relief.  
He continues, more resolutely:

'But you know I need to be laser focused when we are together on the ice, what we do...I never, EVER underestimate the risk, the last thing in my life that I would do is to put your safety in danger in the rink or compromise our work. I won't be at ease if you are not comfortable with me, just as we always have been, and I've thought about this all night and, and...' he hesitates before bursting out,  
'I can't do it if you're going to keep running hot and cold on me!'Now his neck is getting flushed and if Tessa knows anything about him she knows this is a sign he is beginning to get stressed.  
'First of all I don't deserve it and second it REALLY upsets me T, and I really can't be around you OR work with you like this.'  
He is animated now and she can hear the resentment in his voice,  
'You've GOT to tell me what you want because at the moment you are REALLY confusing me!'

The stark reality of his words and the sheer frustration in his voice hit her like a slap in the face and Tessa can't hold back any further.  
'Well, look who's talking! YOU started this and quite frankly, YOU are the one who is confusing ME!'  
She can feel that lump in her throat rising again.  
He can see the distress brewing and before things blow up again, quick as a flash he gets up and slides into the seat next to her.

'Hey no Tess, let's not get upset, that's not the idea, Team meeting is for problem solving not problem making right Kiddo?' and he uses his childhood nickname for her for the first time in a long time.  
It takes all he's got to resist enfolding her in his arms and kissing her face all over but he knows that would sort of invalidate calling the team meeting. Besides they'd be back to square one, if recent events were anything to go by she'd probably run for the hills again.

'I guess so...' Tessa knows it's a feeble reply and he deserves a better answer but she really can't come up with anything adequate right now.

'Ok well, let's do this the other way round then.' Scott thinks using one of their sports psychologists methods might be more effective.

'Do you know what you DON'T want?' he ask gently. Tessa steadies herself. That she knows.  
'I don't want to NOT skate with you, EVER, it's my favorite thing in the world but...' and she hesitates not quite sure how to put all of her inner turmoil into words.  
'It's been intense, you are SO intense...' she hesitates and her emerald eyes stare straight through him shooting an electric current through his body.

'We have so much history and I care so much about what we've accomplished together and I just don't want to risk it...breaking us up, ever, I mean...look at us, we've argued more in the last three weeks than we've done in the last two years! And if we did... you know, go any further...we might break up and then we wouldn't be US anymore!' she concludes averting her gaze, her long eyelashes brushing her cheeks as she tries to hold back a tear.  
She is determined he will not see her snivel. She should have got it all out yesterday anyway right? And for the life of her she is even more determined not to admit to his face quite how wrecked she would be if there was even a remote chance that he might not be in her life anymore.

Scott tries really hard to make sense of this jumbled bag of emotions she has just thrown at him and he can't help smiling to himself.  
Did he really hear this right? Was there a twisted admission in there somewhere that despite all her contradictory behavior, she wanted to be with him? Didn't she just say she didn't want them to split up. 'Ever' he is sure he heard it twice.

'THAT is THE most messed up thing I have ever heard!'

He sees her distress and is prudent enough to not press her further for clarifications of what that 'being us' exactly entails, although he is dying to know.

'Well, if it helps I also want us to keep...err...skating together, why do you think I agreed to this ridiculous schedule you've drawn up for us which is probably going to kill me? I also believe we've got to give the best we've got to the people out there who supported us. But most importantly if either one of us is going to get upset or either one is not sure, then we shouldn't.. .you know...bottom line is,' he exhales in resignation,  
'if you can't do it, then I can't do it either, so we wont' he mimics her words, 'take this any further.'  
'For now.' he thinks, keeping these last two words to himself.

He has had to play it cooler than he would have liked but this roller coaster has not been good for either of them. Letting things calm down will be the best thing to do. Patience is not exactly his strong point but he has no choice. He may not like it but he is ready to wait it out. After all he didn't become an Olympic medalist by cutting any corners.  
Echoes of Chiddy's words in Pyeongchang and the more recent call with him and Liz come back to this mind: 'You have time, you'll figure it out, pace yourself, different speeds...' By the look of the most recent events those two smarty-pants were more than probably right.

Tessa should have known better. Of course he was going to care. About their partnership and being on the same track, about her safety and emotional well-being, about their professionalism and giving their best to the public.  
But she also has a couple of sneaking suspicions, the first being that he is somehow giving in to appease her, and she wishes she didn't find it so endearing, and the second is that she may come to later regret chickening out from fully confronting their feelings for each other now that he'd given her the chance.  
At this stage it's too late to backtrack.

'Ok so are we making a deal?' Tessa looks up hesitantly.

'Deal. Meeting adjourned.' and he raises his hand for a fist bump. 'Come on, let's take this show on the road!'

They slide back into the comfort zone of talking about work till it is time for them to set off on their separate errands.

'I'm going to the skate shop this afternoon so send me a list of what you need and I'll pick it up k?' Scott asks her just as if everything had gone straight back to normal.  
'K' Tessa replies trying her most convincing non committal tone.

At any other time they would have ended a discussion with a brisk 'Love you', but right now neither can bring themselves to say it. All of a sudden that phrase has got chucked right out of their vocabulary. They both know, deep within their hearts, that if they say it out loud now, it's going to start off a whole different ball game.


	18. Fever -  (Peggy Lee)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touring and a new choreography get Tessa and Scott in a flap.
> 
> "But after the fifth or sixth time Jeff had exhorted them, 'Come on you two, passion is what you do best, you even won an Olympic medal with that topic! Don't hold back, go for it, Tessa lean right into his chest before the double sway, yes perfect, ooooh, whoa, yes ok you got it!' Scott gave in to the story line, particularly after the one time Tessa, stroking her hand down his abdomen, lingered a little longer and definitely a lot lower than usual, at that point he stopped worrying there was anywhere off limits where to touch her too.  
> After all he knew her in every way possible now, he couldn't help feeling a little entitled and since he supposed this new choreography gave him a bit of a free pass on ice, he stopped having qualms and just went for it. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is turning out longer than expected- thanks for waiting it out bookmarkers! I seriously appreciate it! XX
> 
> "Fever"  
> (lyrics originally by Little Willie John -check out his original version out on youtube!)

Japan-Touring- all over

Tessa curls up in her seat next to Meagan praying that at least on this flight, the third in a week, she will be able to get some sleep. When they land they go straight to rehearsal and then have to perform a show the very same evening. Secretly she's been cursing herself for a while now for having booked them into every single engagement they had been offered. They had been still high off the Olympic win and maybe had underestimated the workload. It's been a tough calendar on all of them, everyone has been getting a little cranky lately and she has been no exception.

Meagan passes her a health bar before slipping on an eye mask which says 'Closed for holidays' and informs her: 'More of those in the front pocket of my bag, help yourself. Over and out from me.' and proceeds to snuggle into her window seat. She is asleep very quickly.  
Kaitlyn and Andrew, who had been on the first leg of the Tour, have flown to Russia for another engagement and will not be joining them for another few days, so recently she has been rooming with Meagan.  
Tessa marvels at her ability to fall asleep immediately and pretty much in any place. She always has a hard time sleeping anywhere that isn't a flat bed, in pitch dark and total silence. Except for that one hour with Scott a few months ago now, she corrects herself, quickly trying to push the memory out of her mind.  
He is sitting three rows behind with Eric, sharing headphones as they go through some playlist or other. It's sort of become a given that she and him don't sit together these days.

The first week of touring had been amazing. In fact the whole of the first month had been thrilling. The shows had been sold out and everywhere they went the fans showered them with love and appreciation.  
The second month the euphoria was still high enough to carry them through the late nights and early mornings, the jet lag, the sheer expenditure of energy to keep on the go, six shows a week, some days even two.  
By the third the weariness was creeping in. As much as they all enjoyed performing, the continuous changes in schedule, the readjustments to changing hotel rooms and beds, the differing diets which didn't always agree with them, it was all slowly starting to take its toll.  
Now it was the start of their fifth month on the road. It was still mostly exciting but they were all getting weary of being away from home. Whilst at the start of the tour they would hang out all the time, now everyone would retire quickly to their own room, to face-time with loved ones back home and to try and squeeze in as much sleep as possible.  
She never imagined she would miss the organized life of their amateur skating days so much. They had been grueling but always regular. Touring was chaotic at the best of times and it was wreaking havoc on her power of recuperation.  
The rising tension between her and Scott had not been helping things either and frankly she was getting more than a little weary.

Knowing full well it's going to be a while before she gets sleepy, Tessa busies herself with the in flight magazine. She has not seen this one yet, it is a new month and a new edition and in the 'What's on' section she finds an article dedicated to their shows.  
The centre photograph is of her and Scott, his mouth on her neck his hands gripping her hips with her arms encircling his back. It's followed by a raving revue, describing in glowing terms how the show must not be missed if you are visiting the country this month and that the highlight is undoubtedly the jaw dropping routines of Virtue and Moir, 'melting the ice', 'sex on blades', 'the hottest figure skaters you will ever see'.  
She had just tried to tuck away that afternoon memory but the picture brings it up again, the day at her house, the bust up which ensued and the peace they had eventually made sealed with the deal at the tea house.

At first it had seemed that their little meeting back in their hometown had helped clean the air and set things back, on what was at least in her mind, a more acceptable track.  
Initially everything had gone according to plan. They had both backed off. Scott hadn't pressed her any further and she had stopped keeping him at an arm's length and they had overall been really good around each other, affecting that bizarre politeness again in a bid to respect that boundary they had agreed upon, a little gauche at times but overall functional.  
They were skating very well and that was a huge relief for both of them as it was undoubtedly a priority they shared.  
She knew he stared at her when she wasn't looking mostly because Kaitlyn who was in the know had told her, and she hoped he didn't realize that she kept an eye peeled, as discreetly as possible of course, to see if he was flirting with anyone of the cast or  tour members. After all she was the one who had given him the cold shoulder, so really he had every right to turn his attention elsewhere, but she couldn't help feeling relieved that apparently it hadn't happened yet.  
So things had ticked along until at some point along the way they had both lost the Memo.

She would like to blame it on Jeff although she knows that is not entirely true. It started with this new routine he enthusiastically tried to pitch to the pairs one day quite early in the Tour as they were all standing around on the rink for practice.

'So picture this,1930's Speakeasy, the boys are playing cards and drinking. Low spotlight, I'm thinking pin stripe waistcoats and fedora hats, we'll use the smoke machine and some red lighting to give the atmosphere. It's the Prohibition era and it's past curfew time, the girls come into the bar, bold, self confident, ready for their illicit night on the town. I'm thinking fringe dresses and beaded caps, maybe cigarette holders, hmmm but we'll have to see if we're allowed to use vapes,' and he looks around beaming expectantly waiting for everyone's reaction.

'I like it!' from Andrew.

'I love it! from Meagan.

It appears to be going down well so far and Jeff seems as happy as a clam.

'What is the music going to be?' Tessa,

'Aaaaaah!' Jeff still wrapped up in his vision and trying to milk the suspense, 'Let's see if you guess?'

'The Godfather?' Eric suggests humming the first few bars.

'No, not even close!'

'Gangsta's Paradise!' Scott starts his karaoke rendition but everyone groans putting a halt to that pretty quickly.

'Interesting but no.'

'Putting on the Ritz?' Tessa hopefully.

'Nice one but I wanted something sultry and a classic at the same time.'

He looks around eyebrow raised as if he is about to drop a huge revelation on them.

'One of the sexiest songs of ALL time! It's going to be Fever by Peggy Leeeeeee!'

'AWESOME!' Scott is delighted, 'I've been wanting to do that one for years!'

General yells of approval and high fives all around.  
Right then and there they started work on the choreography. And that's when it all went haywire.

So she's not really surprised at the reviews considering how things had progressed from there. Tessa sighs, returns the magazine to its location in the front seat pocket, takes up on Meagan's offer on the health bar, and slides down into her seat in an attempt to try and finally get some sleep.

Scott has just finished listening to Eric's latest piano composition and they have been discussing the possibility of proposing it to Jeff for a piece for the boys only. It is always a little harder to find music to high-light their joint skills in the solo numbers but he thinks this could work perfectly, much to Eric's delight.  
All agreed they resume listening to their own i-pods and Scott continues scrolling through his playlist. A pair of green eyes stare at him inquiringly from the screen, not the gorgeous green ones he is accustomed to seeing every day, but nonetheless just as dazzling.

'Stop looking at me like that Ms Rihanna, this state of affairs is your fault as much as anyone's!' he thinks to himself as the tracks from 'Anti ' start sounding through his headphones. He sighs and peers across the rows of plane seats separating him from Tessa. He can see part of her braid spilling over the side of her seat and catches her shuffling around, surely in a bid to try and get comfortable and sleep. He is betting that is not happening anytime soon.  
He shouldn't have said that silly line about still loving him in the airport waiting lounge. As soon as it had slipped out he regretted it. Things had gotten strained between them again and considering how quickly she had found an excuse to evade he's sure that didn't help.  
'Hell come on,' he justifies himself, 'I'm only human!' he looks back at Rihanna. 'Besides we were doing ok before you and Mr.Jeff Buttle stepped right into it!'

In the beginning he had adjusted overall pretty well to their mutual agreement. He really hadn't want to ruffle things up any further.  
Tessa had been partly right, they hadn't squabbled anymore and that was a huge relief. In a bid not to upset each other they had succeeded in maintaining that reserve. Being on Tour was hard enough.  
Last time they had been on the road had been well over two years ago and never so relentlessly. He was now realizing neither of them had taken into account that as trained as they were, their bodies were older, and even that short time was making a difference on how they handled the fatigue.  
He would be lying if he didn't admit he had been on the lookout for a sign that she was open to something more, but Tessa had been pretty buttoned up, so he had focused on enjoying the tour and the fruits of their success and socializing with their cast mates most of whom they had known since they were teenagers.  
Until, that is, the matter they had somehow left hanging had found a way of boomeranging right back in their faces.

He thinks it's partly Jeff's fault for having put them into a difficult position.  
Jeff had the sixth sense of a psychic, the intuition of a detective and the curiosity of a cat, probably all the reasons which made him such a great artistic director but also part of what more than once had made him, albeit involuntarily, meddle in people's private matters. For sure it was his job to pick up on emotions and convey them onto the ice in the best show he could possibly produce, but maybe this time things had gone a little too far.

'Fever' had been tricky, fun initially, but definitely tricky. 

When they started choreography Jeff had been adamant that the protagonists of the number were going to be the girls, he wanted them bold, shameless, strong and confident, without fear of judgment or critiques.

'Yes we are nodding to a bygone era,' he explained fervently, 'but I feel this subject matter is more current now than it has ever been. Women still get criticized if they make the first move or act too seductively and I strongly believe it's due time they shouldn't! I think this is a very modern theme so we are going to show that the ladies can go and  get what they want, when they want and how they want it!'  
'In a tasteful and aesthetically pleasing way of course!' he added quickly hands conjoined.

Roused by Jeff's inspired words they had all agreed on principle. But in practice it had been a little harder to do. Mostly because their over familiarity as an ensemble made it quite hard to take each other seriously.  
The girls' attempts at seductiveness had been too affected, there had been lots of eye rolling and overly exaggerated sighing and most of the time they had all ended up cracking into fits of giggles.  
It all came to a head one evening, tired and exhausted the boys had become really silly and turned the tables by improvising a rendition of Jimmy Fallon's tight pants TV skit for the girls which had everyone on the floor laughing so hard they had to call it a day.  
There was no way anyone would be able to act sexy after that and even Jeff who had been getting a little exasperated had eased up, even making a mental note to contact the Fallon Team to see if they could actually introduce the skit into next year's shows. Thankfully the little diversion had served to get the silliness out of their systems and the next day they were able to resume and finally focus on Jeff's vision for the piece.

'So everyone, let me remind you of the lyrics,' Jeff is swooping around them like a busy bee, pinning them one by one to their correct initial positions.

"Chicks were born to give you fever

Be it Fahrenheit or centigrade,

We give you fever when we kiss you

Fever if you live and learn

Fever till you sizzle

What a lovely way to burn,"

'Tess, Kait, Meg you HAVE to look at them as if you want to strip them naked just with your eyes.'  
'Scott, Andrew, Eric, you have to stare back as if your pants are on FIRE! Give me restraint but also show me you are bursting at the seams. So girls you make sure you get their bloods racing and guys let me see some sizzling. Got it? Ok let's go!'

The most relaxed pair had undoubtedly been Andrew and Kaitlyn who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the flirting.  
Meagan and Eric, more accustomed to technical rather than interpretative skating, had been a little stiff at first, particularly considering Meagan's husband and Eric's fiancé had joined them for a few days and had been looking on for most of the sessions from the stands. Eventually the four of them had gone out to dinner together, following which things seemed to improve.  
Tessa and Scott had ended up in a flap.

The repertoire which they had performed up to now, had been so seasoned they no longer needed to think about the back story behind the routines, all moves had been practiced a million times to the very last flick of the fingers and they could pretty much perform eyes closed.  
No surprises there.  
But this was different.  
Firstly it was a completely new routine and they had to tap into fresh feelings and emotions to make it convincing on the ice. And their feelings and emotions had very much changed since the last time they had learned a new program.  
Secondly and much more to the point, it didn't help having Tessa actively trying to seduce Scott with every fiber of her being. 

Initially he was torn in between following Jeff's direction and not wanting to act too out of turn with her considering their private agreement. It became increasingly difficult though, as Jeff became more insistent and Tessa, the ever consummate professional, taking her role more than a little seriously, stared at him with hungry seductress eyes, licking her lips, rubbing her body against him alluringly, lightly grazing her nails down his back.  
He knew it was for performance's sake, but couldn't help wondering if maybe she was doing it a little bit on purpose. He had to do his best to suppress that thought though, as the idea that maybe she was trying to tempt him for real was too much of a turn on and it was difficult not to let his mind drift and let his body take over.

But after the fifth or sixth time Jeff had exhorted them, 'Come on you two, passion is what you do best, you even won an Olympic medal with that topic! Don't hold back, go for it, Tessa lean right into his chest before the double sway, yes perfect, ooooh, whoa, yes ok you got it!' Scott gave in to the story line, particularly after the one time Tessa, stroking her hand down his abdomen, lingered a little longer and definitely a lot lower than usual, at that point he stopped worrying there was anywhere off limits where to touch her too.  
After all he knew her in every way possible now, he couldn't help feeling a little entitled and since he supposed this new choreography gave him a bit of a free pass on ice, he stopped having qualms and just went for it.  
He would squeeze her waist a little tighter, something he knew she liked that he had learned in a very different setting, or press his lips against her neck relishing seeing the goose bumps raise on her pale skin. And maybe it was just an impression but it seemed the more forward he got the more she seemed to dare too.

One particular performance as they swung out of a stationary lift he let his open palm skim across her breast, it had been choreographed as an imaginary caress, but he purposely let his thumb stroke her nipple under the thin fabric of her costume. He could see the effect he provoked in her by the taught cloth peaking just beneath her cleavage and the piercing green flash she gave him with her eyes.  
Their ending pose was an embrace and a simulated kiss, but as soon as the lights went off and the pitch black enveloped them, Tessa closed the distance between them, bit his lip ever so quickly and flicked her tongue in his mouth. Before he knew it the lights were back on and it had all happened so fast he wasn't sure he had dreamed it or if it had been real.

As soon as they got off the ice they had been met by a flustered Jeff with notes, asking them to tone it down;

'Yes I know, I know, I did ask you to convey burning desire, but for God's sake this is a family show after all and there are children. Just take it down a notch ok?'  
But the heat between them stayed and became more and more palpable, practice after practice, show after show.

Yet the moment they got off the ice, she would drop his hand like a hot plate and rush off to chatter with Kaitlyn or Elvis or anyone else who was at hand, an obvious decoy to prevent her from engaging with him any further.  
The more heated things got between them on the ice the less they talked off it. So much for keeping things on an even keel. They had been at this cross roads before but this time he was determined it was not going to get to him. Instead he played it cool, making a point of chatting with the rookie female cast mates, preferably in her full view, even going so far as to demonstrate right in front of her face a dance sequence with a doe eyed French girl who had been gazing at him adoringly ever since the first show.  
It wasn't second nature, his gut instinct would have been to pull her into the nearest locker room, pin her against a wall and get her out of her costume as quickly as possible, but he employed all the mental techniques he had ever learnt in his career to disengage as best he could as soon as the performance was over. Frustrating, but manageable.  
They had made a deal and he'd be damned if he would break it first.

One evening after the show he hears a knock on the dressing room door and a familiar voice calling out from the other side.

'Hey Tiger are you presentable?'

'Always! Hey Liz! So great to see you! Patrick said you were coming! Did you see the show?'

'Did I see the show? What did I not see!?' Liz exclaims throwing her head back laughing.

'Other than my future husband who is clearly the most charismatic figure skater who ever lived, you two were out of this world! So by the look of things I take it you finally got your act together?'

'Nope! We pretty much keep the dating for the ice, the rest is pretty much same as where we left off, actually a bit worse, we don't even hang out that much these days...' Scott continues gloomily.

Liz picks up on the sad face. 'I'm so sorry' she sighs in understanding, 'It's just that looking at you two, you just seem so perfect together! I still stand by what I said though. I am sure you will work it out. Come on let's take you to dinner! Patrick is waiting outside, apparently he has found a great spot for kobe beef. Game?'

'Sure!' He gratefully accepts the invitation and they slip out for a quiet dinner the three of them.  
As much as Scott normally loves socializing with the cast, at this stage it is actually a relief to have a low key meal with just his two friends with whom he can actually be totally open about what has been going on.  
Patrick offers his help as wing man should Scott need any assistance in any shape or form, and Liz very sweetly proposes herself as go-between him and Tessa seeing they are having such a hard time communicating directly.  
'You know sometimes it's easier to talk with someone you know less well than the people who are close to you who tend to get caught up in the situation!'

Scott is touched by their concern, 'Thanks guys I really appreciate the support, but we aren't adolescents anymore, despite it would seems so, considering how hopeless we are at handling this. We really should be able to sort this out on our own but I'll keep the offers in mind!'

They spend the rest of the dinner pleasantly talking about how much they all love Japan, about the upcoming dates and Liz and Patrick's wedding plans and Scott is able to take his mind off things a little, but admitting his feelings out loud to his chums makes him realize quite how upset he is, how much he misses his partner and the special connection they have and quite how ludicrous the whole situation has become.

 

As he listens to the last bars of 'Work' he picks up the in flight magazine and finds the article about the show. Eric had pointed it out to him earlier.  
He reads a few of the glowing reviews and lingers over a steamy image of him and Tessa interlocked in each other's arms. Well if nothing else at least he hopes the public enjoyed their performances.  
He looks again over the plane seats to Tessa. She's still fidgeting.

 


	19. Love on the Brain -  (Rihanna)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't about sex anymore, at this point it was about a lot more than either of them could handle. It was happening again, getting personal was breaking them up.  
> Little did she imagine that an unforeseen way out of her dilemma would come in the form of a phone call late one evening when she least expected it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More conflict.  
> Sorry, I promise it's for a good cause in the end.

Japan - on Tour

Tessa has not been able to sleep much. She really has to crack the insomnia somehow or she will end up like a dried ole' prune she thinks to herself. The other night in the dressing room mirror she even had to apply extra makeup just to tone out the dark rings which had been forming round her eyes. The last few performances have been draining, not just on a physical level but emotionally they have taken a lot out of her.

'Fever' had been a wild ride to say the least.  
When Jeff first proposed it, she thought it was the last thing she needed.  
Having to boldly flirt with Scott, even just as make believe, was going to do nothing to further her cause to keep their relationship strictly professional. 

It is hard for her. She wants him. Of course she does. She is only able to admit it silently to herself at night, as she lies restless in the unfamiliar encasing of the different beds and different hotel rooms, fantasizing about his naked body enveloping her once again.  
Sex had been surprisingly easy between them. But the intimacy, at least on her part, not so much.  
And these last programs are not helping.

At first she held back, not fully convinced by Jeff's grand vision, but as they got more into the routine she became captivated by the choreography which really was quite brilliant, and she let herself get into it. Partly because she'd be damned if she didn't do justice to what was asked of her, and partly because she secretly relished having a good excuse to play out her fantasies on Scott without risking too much of her emotional well-being.  
It was just role play right? At least here she had some control and could indulge herself whilst keeping her feelings out of it.  
But things didn't go quite as expected when at some point he had also stopped restraining himself. They ended up openly teasing each other on ice and then ignoring each other off it.  
She knows it was her fault, she had been the one to request they didn't cross that boundary again, but this push and pull was making things messy and confusing all over again.  
Also she couldn't help feeling a little resentful, he was so aloof as soon as they finished work, and it vexed her.    


No surprise she is feeling so weary.

She wonders if all it would take is for her to brave it and just knock on his door, as he had knocked on hers that evening in Korea, and just bang each other senseless, have this tension out once and for all.  
She plays out that scenario in her head wondering how things might pan out. They are both rooming with other people, not great, but most importantly she is not so sure of his reaction, given that off the ice he keeps to himself.  
What if he doesn't want her anymore? After all he had been spending a lot less time with her in favour of the other cast members, particularly the female ones, she couldn't help noticing.

And then Jeff with the best possible intentions did his worst.  
'I have a new solo for you two, I think it's about time we introduce a new number. Move on from Moulin Rouge, maintain the drama, that tension, but with a contemporary song, and wait for it...it's from THE Goddess herself!' he exclaimed excitedly,  
'It's about two people in love, pushing and pulling at each other, one lover tugging on the other's heart strings, they want each other but are never quite able to get it together, it's painful, it's intense, it's poignant. I think you two are perfect for it.'  
Wait did he pick up on something? As Jeff splurged all of this out Tessa and Scott had been absolutely unable to make eye contact.  
Rihanna's 'Love on the Brain' had been her final undoing.

"And you got me, let go  
What you want from me? (What you want from me?)  
And I tried to buy your pretty heart, but the price too high  
Baby you got me like oh  
You love when I fall apart (fall apart)  
So you can put me together  
And throw me against the wall

Baby you got me like ah, woo, ah  
Don't you stop loving me (loving me)  
Don't quit loving me (loving me)  
Just start loving me (loving me)

Oh, and baby I'm fist fighting with fire  
Just to get close to you  
Can we burn something, babe?  
And I run for miles just to get a taste

Must be love on the brain  
That's got me feeling this way (feeling this way)  
It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good  
And I can't get enough

Must be love on the brain yeah<  
And it keeps cursing my name (cursing my name)  
No matter what I do, I'm no good without you"  
And I can't get enough  
Must be love on the brain"

Jeff truly outdoes himself and puts together probably one of the best pieces he ever has in his life.

During rehearsals Tessa and Scott do not speak, they do not use cues, they do not look at each other for validations.  
They do not need to.  
They just feel, melting into the moves, fusing into each other, saying with their bodies what they are unable to say out loud.  
Scott in particular gives one of the most powerful interpretations he ever has.  
Tessa knows that in some parts he is actually skating with his eyes closed, a feat which only a performer as talented as he can pull off, immersed in the music, relying solely on her touch to transition to the next step.  
He does not sing the words to her as he always does, but his touch speak more than a thousand words.  
And Tessa's own performance  cannot but reciprocate, drawn in by the intensity of his magnetic field, they communicate in the only way they are sure of and she feels shaken to the core every time.  
This is no longer the light flirting of 'Fever', this goes a lot deeper.

Jeff is hardly surprised they don't have any questions for him, he knows he has latched onto something, and it soon becomes obvious also to everyone else.  
This is one of a kind, one of those rare perfect creations which come around rarely and all the cast mates and staff take to checking on the daily call sheet to see when Tessa and Scott are practicing next, so they can silently huddle around the stands to admire the spell that is being chanted on the ice.

And the crowd responds to it as they never had to any other piece they have skated to.  
Not even in Pyeongchang had they performed in a complete and utter silent arena.  
Through the whole piece you could hear a pin drop.  
As soon as they finished it remained dead quiet as if no one dared come in between what they had just witnessed. Astonishing how loud the silence of ten thousand people who do not wish to disturb two engrossed lovers could be.  
Usually it would be Scott to break them out of character at the end of a piece, to twirl Tessa around for bows but after every performance of 'Love on the Brain' he would stay stock still leaving her to take that initiative to break the moment and start off the crashing applause.  
Often Tessa would feel something slick and damp sliding down his cheek and onto her neck and she could never make out if it was sweat from exertion or something else.  
It was becoming overwhelming for both of them.

When they got off the ice he had taken to having a bottle of chilled lemon juice waiting on the side, and as soon as their blades were off the rink and their hands disconnected, he would leave her, make a bee line for it and down it pretty much in one go.   
She would never look at him, she couldn't, she knew if she did she'd be done for.  
It wasn't about sex anymore, at this point it was about a lot more than either of them could handle. It was happening again, getting personal was breaking them up.

Little did she imagine that an unforeseen way out of her dilemma would come in the form of a phone call late one evening when she least expected it.


	20. How Does it Feel - (D' Angelo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Well...apparently Freedom Media called and they really want us to do one of their TV shows...'  
> 'OH!' Scott is quite taken aback, 'What like 'Dancing with the Stars? I don't really see the point of us doing it anyway, it's what we do for a liv...'  
> 'Scott,' Tessa halts him gently 'It's not exactly like that.'

Tokyo Hilton - Team Meeting

As Scott chucks the towel he's been using in the hotel gym into the basket conveniently placed by the showers in the men's dressing room, he can hear his phone in the locker beeping. He punches in the combination and succeeds in stripping out of his work gear and simultaneously retrieving the phone from the bundle of his  jeans. It is a message from Tessa.

'Team meeting. Can you make it in twenty minutes? I'm in the hotel lounge. I'll get you a double coffee k?'

Scott checks his watch, just time enough to shower and head over. He texts her back a thumbs up.

He wonders what this is about, if it is work or personal related.  
After all he had called Team meeting for a very personal matter the last time and seeing neither has confronted the other about what the fuck is it exactly that is going on between them, he wonders if finally Tessa is ready to talk.  
His curiosity is piqued.  
As he sees her through the glass of the coffee shop in the lounge she is biting her lip and nervously scribbling notes on a pad. She seems very intent, brow furrowed and he realizes something is up and it may not necessarily be what he imagined.

'Hey! Uh thanks for the coffee, I guess I'll be needing it to make it through today!' he slides into the chair in front of her. It is the end of the week, two shows, two meet and greets and a meeting with a potential Japanese sponsor for an advert for ice-cream. It is going to be a long day at the end of an even longer week. Thank God they are on the last few shows.

'Michelle called me last night.' Tessa looks quite grave and he begins to get a little apprehensive, if she's booked them already on another round of Tours she had better be told asap he is really going to need a holiday before he agrees to getting onto any more planes.

'Oh God, is it about the European tour? I really want to do it but I hoped we could take at least a month off first. I don't think I can handle any more travelling without a break.'

'No it's not that...that would be beginning of next year.' Tessa hesitates,

'Phew, then Tess what is it? Please get to the point you're beginning to worry me!'

'Well...apparently Freedom Media called and they really want us to do one of their TV shows.'

'OH!' Scott is quite taken aback, 'What like 'Dancing with the Stars'? They own the rights to most of those shows right? I thought we both agreed those were not for us long ago! How do they expect that to work, would they have us dance with different partners and pitch us against each other, or dance together and have a coach, I don't really see the point of us doing it anyway,  it's what we do for a liv...'

'Scott,' Tessa halts him gently, 'It's not exactly like that.'  
She pauses making sure she has his full attention.  
'They want us to do DIFFERENT shows. YOU would be doing 'Dancing with the Stars' in the US and I would be doing 'Dancing on Ice' in the UK.'

'WHAT?' Scott is flabbergasted and absolutely speechless. Of all things it had never crossed his mind anyone would ever think of booking them separately. Adverts or sponsorships were one thing but not anything to do with dancing, let alone their very own thing, ice dance! He slumps back in his chair as he tries to process this new information.

Tessa looks up tentatively letting the news sink in and they sit in silence for a minute both mulling the possibility over. Eventually she can't wait any longer.

'They want us so much we would get paid double what we have for this whole tour! Besides we wouldn't be travelling because we would stay in loco for the duration of the shows so that part wouldn't be too bad. We would stay in training, there is a ton of physical work involved so that also wouldn't be a problem, and they are prepared to give us some time out for any special sessions we may need to stay on top of our own work.  We would be busy for...let's say we both got to the finals, for two to three months maximum so we would still be free in time for a short holiday and then practice and rehearsals for the European Tours.'

'Well, please say something what do you think?'

'I don't know Tess, I always thought we were a Team and would do things together, I have a hard time right now imagining it.' he is honestly struggling with the idea of being in any sort of dance with anyone who is not the attractive woman in braids sitting across from him right now.

'I thought the same thing but I also thought that we have to be realistic and maybe should be open to new opportunities. I want to keep skating for as long as we can but it might be a good thing to challenge ourselves to do something  a little different...'

He looks up at her and it hits him in the stomach. He had relegated to a very remote island in the ocean of his thoughts that this possibility existed, that a time might come when they would be doing things separately, but now that it has turned into a realistic option he is not quite sure he is ready for it.

'Hmmm...' it is rare that Scott doesn't have anything to say and Tessa is getting knots in her belly again, that all too familiar feeling she has had multiple times in the last few months.

He looks at her with a penetrating gaze, 'Do you want to do it?'

She steadies herself plucking up the courage to say what she really has been wanting to all along, easing into it gently at first;

'Well if anything I would have liked it the other way round, I would have preferred to be a competitor on DWS and for you to be a coach on DOI but I suppose the whole point is they want to push us a little beyond our comfort zones.'  
She pauses for the slightest second and before losing momentum hastily proceeds to reveal the real crux of the matter:

'and besides I think we should try doing something separately. It might be a good idea for us to be apart for a while. I mean we never really have been and I think we need to try ...' there she said it, she exhales a small breath of relief.

'Oh SO THAT's what this IS about!' Scott sees it now and he is annoyed.

'Tess if you need space from me just say it, you don't need to go to another country for God's sake!'

She glares back at him defiantly 'Well maybe I do!'  
She continues undeterred at this point not wanting to back down from saying her piece:

'I thought we had made a deal but it doesn't seem to me that recently that agreement is being honored!' she says it a little too primly.

'Excuse me?' Scott is indignant,' So it's all on me now is it? All it takes is a NO THANK YOU Tessa, but I don't seem to be getting one. I find putting your hand on my crotch, or your tongue in my mouth during shows is as far from honoring our agreement as one could possibly get!'

Tessa's neck is getting flushed, he can see red patches round her collar bone, clearly she is having a hard time controlling her emotions and they are surfacing in a rosy ring across her chest.

'You're the one who keeps taunting me and then struts around like some proud peacock showing off its feathers!'

'WHAT the heck _?_ Maybe if you loosened up a bit and stopped being so tense all of this would be a lot easier!'

'How can I loosen up when you hardly talk to me these days!'

'Why is all this so difficult Tessa? I've never asked you to jump out of a plane without a parachute!'  
He meant it flippantly not realizing that analogy would strike a raw nerve with her and at this point she can no longer hold back, she bursts out;

'I'M SCARED ALRIGHT? YOU SCARE ME!' she exhales a long breath and falls back in her seat like a deflated balloon, quite exhausted by the effort of having finally said what she had been wanting to for the longest time.  
For the second time in the last few minutes Scott doesn't know what to say.

Quietly now, nearly under her breath but not so low enough that he can't hear her she adds,

'The idea of loving you terrifies me more than anything...'  
but before he has time to pull himself together and react she sits back up quickly and continues a little too sharply,

'I need to get away and think without you breathing down my neck.'

Tessa is slightly winded, she never thought she would have the gall to admit this to him out loud and clear but it had been brewing too long. Her heart is thumping in her chest now.

Scott is stunned, it's the first time he's heard it yet this isn't exactly the declaration of love he had been hoping for, instead it feels like a quick and painful stab right through his heart.

'So this is the way to go about it Tessa? Running away? Again? Like you did in Korea when you hid from me and then back home when you wouldn't take my calls, or after that day at your house and then you could hardly look at me in the face. Or now, that we connect only on the ice and afterwards you act as if I'm hardly there _?_ Do you  have any idea how much this hurts? Have you stopped for a minute to think how this makes me feel? I am doing my best to let you have your space and time Tessa but obviously it is not enough...nothing I do seems right, you pull me in and then won't let me close to you and it's tiring me out!'  
'If you feel something for me then why are we playing these silly games?' he throws his hands in the air looking at her beseechingly.

Let me ask you a question,' he continues gravely as he eases himself out of his seat all the while looking at her earnestly. She can see he is really upset now, the emotion quivering on his face.

'Whatever made you think that any of this would be any less scary for me?' 

and he walks out leaving her staring into her coffee absolutely gutted.

Her phone beeps.  
It is Scott texting her.

'Alright then. If this is what you want. Call Michelle. Tell her we'll do it.'


End file.
